As the idea is no longer fresh and the plot has basically the same structure, it doesn't quite match the original. But the sequel delivers enough new developments to keep it interesting.
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:128
Fresh:69
Rotten:59
Average Rating:5.6/10
Consensus: It may not equal its predecessor, but Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay is still good for some laughs -- and food for thought.
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Genre: Comedies
US Box Office: $38,087,366
Synopsis: America's favorite pothead pals, Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn), return with an uproariously un-PC sequel that skewers everything from racial prejudice to the president of the United... America's favorite pothead pals, Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn), return with an uproariously un-PC sequel that skewers everything from racial prejudice to the president of the United States. HAROLD & KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY picks up shortly after the first film, cult favorite HAROLD & KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE, as the boys plan an impromptu trip to the Mecca of Marijuana: Amsterdam. There, Harold will unite with the love of his life and Kumar will achieve cannabis bliss. The two soon find themselves in hot water when Kumar sneaks a bong onto the flight and is mistaken for a bomb-wielding terrorist. Indeed, after a run-in with racist Homeland Security agent Ron Fox (Rob Corddry of THE DAILY SHOW), the two land in the hottest water of all: Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. After escaping from prison and fleeing back to the U.S., the two set out across country to get help from Harold's politically connected former classmate, who is also marrying the girl that Kumar let get away. Along this oddball odyssey they will encounter incestuous rednecks, the KKK, gun-toting prostitutes, and a drugged-out Neil Patrick Harris (HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER). But when the ex-classmate turns the two over to the authorities, Harold and Kumar must use their wits--plus a dash of luck and a dose of humility--to earn their freedom, win back their respective loves, and save their friendship. Original writers Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg return for both screenwriting and directing credits, ensuring that the budding franchise retains the same subversive sensibility while upping the audacity of its satire. Frequently raunchy but reveling in the bonds of acceptance and friendship, HAROLD & KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY is a madcap romp that delivers plenty of humorous highs. [More]
Starring: Kal Penn, John Cho, Rob Corddry, Neil Patrick Harris
Starring: Kal Penn, John Cho, Rob Corddry, Neil Patrick Harris, Roger Bart
Director: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg
Director: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg
Screenwriter: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg
Producer: Greg Shapiro, Nathan Kahane
Composer: George S. Clinton
Studio: New Line Cinema
Reviews for Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
Every aspect of the production is atrocious in the extreme.The writing is awful. The direction is bilious.
The film is so even-handed and so diligent in its urge to offend that after a while I felt myself go numb.
Amid the dick jokes, drug taking and gratuitous nudity, the film also serves as a salient reminder about what actually ranks as subversive comedy.
There's an abundance of toilet humour, masturbation, oral sex and fantasies about threesomes with an oversized bag of weed ... The target market will no doubt be primed
A bag of shoddy skits that barely qualifies as a movie and taints pleasant memories of their previous clowning besides
Hurwitz and Schlossberg can't quite recapture their magic in this spotty stoner sequel.
Uses its sly brand of humor to say plenty about the state of race relations in the U.S. (really).
Now only a pot comedy would conceive of turning George W. into a goofy, dare I say even likable pothead who's afraid of his dad and Dick Cheney.
Anything the filmmakers might have, could have, should have handled with even the remotest degree of subtlety...they didn't.
A prison sex slave rebellion having to do with an organ sandwich, don't ask, and a detour over to Bush's secret sex den, make this ballsy doper duo and their Blue State versus Red State rant hard to resist.
Whereas White Castle had a freshness in its humor, Guantanamo goes crude for the sake of crudeness, to the point of ruining entire scenes.
A drunken bachelor party kind of movie, more of a rental idea than a full-priced theater movie.
Those wishing to defend the honor of the red states will find much to dislike here, starting with the depiction of Southerners as rednecks and Klansmen
Unfortunately, the movie has too many uninspired and shockingly unfunny moments that outweigh the good by at least a few tons.
A surprisingly 'post-9/11' movie, it combines typical stoner humor with a plot about ethnic profiling, torture, and War on Terror paranoia. But, like, in a funny way.
...even Doogie Howser and his imaginary unicorns can't save this film.
Not a high point in stoner comedies, the snickering filmmakers miss their chance to take on racial profiling in the war on terror. Bongs away!
Latest News for Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo...
May 07, 2009:
Warners Plots Harold and Kumar, Happy Feet Sequels ![]()
Warner Bros. has announced a pair of very different features in development: "A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas" and the tentatively titled "Happy Feet 2 in 3-D." More...
August 30, 2008:
Cheque-In Reviews: A prison sex slave rebellion having to do with an organ sandwich, don't ask, and a detour over to Bush's secret sex den, make this ballsy doper duo and their Blue State versus Red State rant hard to resist. ![]()
More...
July 28, 2008:
RT on DVD: Harold & Kumar, Doomsday and Dark City Director's Cut
Since we're all still recovering from Comic-Con 2008, and tons of new home video details dropped at the Largest Nerd Gathering in the World, it's time for RT on DVD: Geek... More...
July 25, 2008:
Weekly Ketchup: Anchorman 2, Dracula: Year Zero, Twilight Zone and Much More
In this week's Weekly Ketchup we've got the latest on plenty of remakes and sequels coming your way. Plus, check back Monday for an extra special edition of the Ketchup, in... More...
More Movies
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 70% 70% | Where the Wild Things Are | 03/12 |
| 83% 83% | Paranormal Activity | 03/12 |
| 89% 89% | Zombieland | 03/12 |
| 76% 76% | The Informant! | 03/12 |
| | The Strength of Water | 03/12 |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay at Rotten Tomatoes
- Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay at IGN
- Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Tim Burton's costume designer talks to Movieline about her long collaboration with the filmmaker and Johnny Depp.

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.

Double passes up for grabs to the new comedy starring Paul Giamatti.

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
Competitions

Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser

Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.

We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection



Top Critic

