It panders and aims way too low way too frequently.
Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (2004)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:143
Fresh:105
Rotten:38
Average Rating:6.4/10
Consensus: The likable leads and subversion of racial stereotypes elevate Harold and Kumar above the typical stoner comedy.
Runtime: 88 mins
Genre: Comedies
US Box Office: $18,225,165
Synopsis: Following up his hit DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR? writer-director Danny Leiner has come up with the riotous road-trip comedy HAROLD & KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE. Harold (John Cho) has graduated college and... Following up his hit DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR? writer-director Danny Leiner has come up with the riotous road-trip comedy HAROLD & KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE. Harold (John Cho) has graduated college and is now working at a cubicle, where he is abused by other workers and forced to do their jobs for them. Kumar (Kal Penn) is expected to go to medical school to follow in the footsteps of his father and brother, but he'd rather spend his time partying. The entire film takes place in one night, as wild Kumar is determined to get a sack of burgers at White Castle, even though his more staid roommate would prefer to stay home and finish a project for his officemates. While Kumar seeks fun and adventure, lusting after nearly every woman he meets, Harold dreams only of Maria (Paula Garces), the woman down the hall whom he likes but is too afraid to talk to. Harold & Kumar's excellent adventure includes an outrageous bathroom scene in a college; a cop who takes his job way too seriously; a group of extreme, rad dudes who harass Harold, Kumar, and a convenience store manager; LAW & ORDER: SVU's Chris Meloni as an incredibly disgusting possible psycho; and Neil Patrick Harris playing himself, making fun of his Doogie Howser image. In addition to plenty of raunchy--and very funny--references to sex, drugs, and rock & roll, Leiner also takes on stereotypes and the meaning of love. [More]
Starring: John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, Malin Akerman
Starring: John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, Malin Akerman, David Krumholtz, Paula Garces, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Siu Ta, Sandy Jobin-Bevans, Christopher Meloni, Gary Anthony Williams, Bobbi Lee, Fred Willard, Steve Braun, Ethan Embry, Luis Guzman, Jamie Kennedy
Director: Danny Leiner
Director: Danny Leiner
Screenwriter: Jonathan Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg
Producer: Greg Shapiro, Nathan Kahane
Composer: David Kitay
Studio: New Line Cinema
Reviews for Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
Perfectly paired, John Cho and Kal Penn take the stereotypes of the brilliant Asian and the genius Indian for a joyride.
It's enthusiastically vulgar, yet it adroitly takes on the topic of racial stereotyping, a surprisingly effective combination for a comedy.
H&KGTWC is a smart person's fart movie! It's like a American Road Pie Trip for the intelligente - the partying intelligente
While not as outlandishly contrived as director Danny Leiner's Dude, Where's My Car? H&K is about as barely funny and just as hard to believe.
What's engaging about all this is that Penn and Cho are smart actors doing very dumb humor. Somehow the combination proves amusing.
One secret of fiction is the creation of unique characters who are precisely defined. The secret of comedy is the same, with the difference being that the characters must be obsessed with unwholesome but understandable human desires.
This movie has instances of absolute hilarity... but unlike the burgers, it has a lot of unnecessary fillers. Dude, where's my hamburger?
Harold and Maude Go to White Castle might have been a better bet, but this is nevertheless a gross-out comedy with a difference.
This may not be the funniest film of the summer nor even the stoniest, but it is still an enjoyable chunk of resin-soaked celluloid.
Cho and Penn pull off the fast-food humor with a laid-back style that gets them through even when the movie lags.
Danny Leiner hasn't matured as a filmmaker. And that's a very nice thing indeed.
Perfect summertime munchies for the drive-in. Lewd, raunchy and likely to spawn a sequel or two. It’s also fearless, well-acted and smarter than it lets on.
(This) isn't your typical lowbrow comedy about dopes smoking dope. Deep down, under the buns and fun, lurks a heapin' helping of heart.
If you're among those who giggled at the trailer before calling your buds to say Dude. Harold Kumar. Looks funny., you'll probably find a solid case of chuckles here.
There is a key to good'n'stupid lowbrow comedy:...be proudly, shamelessly, flippantly stupid...
I will tell you without compunction that I laughed many times during the film, and I will add that 90 percent of those laughs were at things I cannot repeat here.
This buddy pot comedy's blunted charm lacks the clarity to make it soar as high as its protagonists.
Latest News for Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
April 08, 2009:
Kal Penn Trades Acting for Public Service ![]()
"Harold and Kumar" star Kal Penn has given up acting -- but rather than pursuing a new career in hip-hop, Penn will be joining the Obama administration as the new associate... More...
July 25, 2008:
Mandate Greenlights Harold and Kumar 3 ![]()
They've gone to White Castle and escaped from Guantanamo Bay, but they aren't done yet: there's a Harold and Kumar 3 in the works. More...
April 24, 2008:
Box Office Guru Preview: Odd Couples Invade Multiplexes
Two new buddy comedies enter the marketplace during the final weekend of the spring box office hoping to cash in on what business is left in the last week before Iron Man flies... More...
October 12, 2007:
Star Trek XI Finds Its Scotty, Sulu
J.J. Abrams' Starfleet roster is quickly filling up.
Hot on the heels of this week's news that Eric Bana has signed on to play the heavy in Star Trek XI, The Hollywood... More...
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