This movie was extremely hard for me to grade. I am a fan of the previous pair of Harold & Kumar films, and like most I was excited to hear of a third. However, A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas was not all I thought it was going to be.
Six years after their Guantanamo Bay adventure, Harold and Kumar are in entirely different places in life. Harold is a successful Wall Street businessman with a hot wife and a big house. Kumar is a do nothing stoner who has let life slip by. The duo are brought back together through the magic of Christmas - if you can even say that - and the rest, as they say, is history.
For me, the words Harold, Kumar, and Christmas simply don't go together. I get that this is what they were going for, but in reality it just doesn't work. Yes there were some laugh out loud moments and memorable one liners, but at the end of the day the film is unable to make the Christmas theme click.
It isn't surprising that the 3D aspect falls into the "unnecessary" category. It's not really used effectively or in a unique way. I expected it to be played up heavily for the sake of a few laughs; sadly it was hardly ever the pun of a joke.
Neil Patrick Harris returns in rich form, killing it once again as himself, constantly reminding us of his past great roles, even venturing into his personal life from time to time. His segment is probably the funniest part of the movie, but he isn't without company. There are numerous other great actors in this installment including Danny Trejo, Thomas Lennon, and Elias and Bobby Lee, all of which add a funny spark to the film.
Overall, A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas could have been better. Fans of the series should be entertained, but keep your expectations low. The film is a good comedy as long as you aren't expecting too much.
