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Arts & Entertainment
 

Stoner flick is a hilarious hit

'White Castle' tale of friendship, drug use

By Amy Perez
The Daily Cougar

Although director Danny Leiner missed the target with Dude, Where's My Car?, his second attempt at comedy on the big screen, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, more than makes up for it. One ravenous case of the munchies leads junior investment banker Harold (John Cho) and his med school-bound roommate Kumar (Kal Penn) on an unpredictable adventure to the nearest White Castle, a chain of burger joints that dot the East Coast. Along the way, the two encounter a pair of diarrhea twins, a cheetah, a bag of marijuna the size of a throw pillow, a tow truck driver named Freakshow, and Neil Patrick Harris rolling on ecstasy, among other things.

Needless to say, the friendship between Harold and Kumar is tested as they are forced to make quick decisions about the detours they face on their way to satisfying their craving for those tiny White Castle burgers. Luckily, the disputes between the two never amount to anything serious or meaningful. Instead, they speed the movie along from one scenario to the next, leaving ample room for laughs. 

High points of the movie include Kumar's discovery of a large bag of marijuna, which he then fantasizes taking paddle boat rides with. The fantasy escalates to a scene of a frustrated Kumar paying bills and the bag of marijuna entering in a pink robe to bring him coffee.

It would be silly to expect anything profound from Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, but by the movie's end, the Asian guy from American Pie and the Indian guy from Van Wilder will have convinced audience members that going to White Castle is always more than merely satisfying hunger -- it's about the American dream of getting what you want, when you want it.

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle

New Line Cinema

Starring: John Cho, Kal Penn

Rated: R

The verdict: A stoner movie sure to beat out Half Baked.

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