A Very Harold And Kumar 3D Christmas: "I Shot Santa Claus In The Face. He's Real, And I Shot Him InThe Face"

Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson
Writer:    Jon Hurwitz
               Hayden Schlossberg
Starring: Jon Cho
               Kal Penn
               Neil Patrick Harris
               Thomas Lennon
               Amir Blumenfeld
               Daneel Harris
               Paula Garces
               Danny Trejo
               Elias Korteas
               Eddie Kaye Thomas
Rating:    ****

Release date: 09/12/11

My first Christmas movie review, and a pretty unconventional one at that. Harold and Kumar are back in this funny, festive stoner movie, but is it one sequel too many?

Let me start off by just saying I haven't seen 1 or 2, but after seeing this I am tempted to see them, as it had many funny moments. Harold and Kumar (Cho & Penn) have moved on since their last outing and are now living very different lives. Kumar has lost his now pregnant girlfriend, Vanessa (Harris), he has dropped out of medical school and is still getting high as often as possible. Harold on the other hand has put down the drugs, gotten himself a decent job in New York, and is now trying for a baby with his fiance, Maria (Garces). 

Harold is always trying his hardest to impress Maria's father, Mr Perez (Trejo), and even decorates the house for Christmas because he knows how much he loves it, something to do with Mama Perez being stabbed by Koreans on Christmas, that's one of the many reasons why he hates Harold. On the other side of town Kumar gets a parcel addressed to Harold, so on the way to a party with his friend Adrian (Blumenfeld), he drops of the package, which turns out to be a spliff. This is where insanity ensues, with the Christmas tree accidentally setting on fire  and the two travelling across New York to try and find a new tree. Along for the journey is Adrian, Todd (Lennon) and Todd's daughter Eva, who at some point gets high on cocaine, and she is a toddler. 

Harold and Kumar get into all sorts of trouble, including turning in to clay-mation, almost being killed by a mob leader and harassing a straight Neil Patrick Harris, who plays this outlandish version of himself superbly. The story itself is extremely reminiscent of a 90's comedy film, which I absolutely loved, and for me that makes the film so entertaining to watch. They play the title roles fantastically, and really bounce off of each other with ease, and it really feels like they are good friends which is what the film needs. Neil Patrick Harris is also an absolute joy in this film, and is able to play the disgusting version of himself surprisingly easily.

What I liked most about the film, surprisingly, was the directors use of 3D. The way 3D is used in Hollywood really gets on my tits, but this film takes the use of 3D and mocks it and just generally takes the piss out of it. But most importantly it does it well, and actually managed to make me laugh, using slow motion and all the gimmicks that normally get on my nerves. The film is out 9th December, and although not the most conventional Christmas film, it will make you laugh and hopefully get you in the festive spirit.

A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas - Trailer