STUDIO: New Line
RELEASE DATE: July 29, 2008
STARRING: Kal Penn, John Cho, Danneel Harris, Roger Bart, Rob Corddry, and Neil Patrick Harris
WRITTEN BY: Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg
DIRECTED BY: Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg
FEATURES: Dude, Change The Movie! - Interactive Feature Puts You in Control of Harold and Kumar's Trip!
Select From New and Alternate Scenes to Change the Course of the Film! Many Possible Options!
Commentary with the Directors and the Stars
Commentary with the Directors, the real "Harold Lee" and the guy who plays George W. Bush
"The World of Harold and Kumar" Featurette
27 Additional Scenes
Bush PSA

Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay exists largely because of how successful its predecessor was on DVD. The boys' drug-fueled trip to pick up some sliders at White Castle barely made a dime in theaters (less than $25 million worldwide) but was a HUGE hit on DVD. We're not saying all viewers of Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle were baked, but it's a lot easier to be so after a trip to Blockbuster than at the multiplex. The four-years-in-waiting sequel was released in the Spring of 2008 and it didn't get quite the same critical acclaim but it has the exact same user rating on IMDB (an impressive 7.2/10) and actually made more money in theaters. Personally, I think it was a lateral move. And I liked the first one. And, like the rest of the world, I'm going to like the second one even more on DVD than I did in theaters. There's something about stupid comedies like Guantanamo Bay that make for easy repeat viewing on a lazy weekend. The fact that the movie is basically as good, if not better than the first, and that New Line/Warner Brothers has put together a pretty stellar DVD package should help propel the second coming of H & K to similar highs as the original - pun intended.

After a rough start - the film doesn't really pick up until the boys (Kal Penn and John Cho) actually live up to the title - Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay gave me exactly what I was looking for in an unrated, pot-fueled comedy. Yes, HKEFGB is a little too focused on the gross-out humor, but there's an unpredictable nature to these films that I truly value. Maybe it's because I sit through so many by-the-numbers comedies in the run of a year, but a movie that features as many left-field jokes (including references to Starship Troopers, a cyclops baby, bottomless parties, and a ridiculous amount of pubic hair) as this one can get on my good side pretty easily. Guantanamo Bay is no comedy classic (but, honestly, neither is the original) but it's still a unique, fun film that will satisfy on DVD if you approach it with the right attitude, buzzed on life or...something else.

Even if the movie may just be okay - the DVD is fantastic. One of the coolest special features in a long time is "Dude, Change the Movie!" - a special feature that will remind fans of the right age group of Choose Your Own Adventure books. At certain points in the movie, you'll be able to make a choice and change the course of the film. Naturally, I just assumed that these "changes" would be minor - alternate takes or different angles - but they're not kidding about literally being able to change the movie. Some of the alterations are MAJOR. When Kumar tries to smoke down in an airplane bathroom, you can advise him not to, which means that you'll literally start another movie that it looks like Cho and Penn shot on their own digital cameras called "Harold and Kumar Go To Amsterdam". And it's hilarious. Fans of the franchise need to see it just to watch Harold trip on shrooms. Other changes are more minor, but it appears that the filmmakers might have actually had this special feature in mind when they were making the movie in the first place. It's very cool. And it's not alone. Making your variation on one of your favorite comedies will probably be more than enough H&K for you, but you can also listen to two commentary tracks or watch a featurette about the making of the film after you lose your buzz. Your comedy buzz, of course.