This film is a sociological peculiarity. It's a mainstream "stoner" film featuring two Asian-American actors. It got rave reviews, and even after it did not do well in the box office, the media, which didn't exactly
hype the film, still insisted that it would develop a cult following and that DVD sales would make up for the lost theater sales. As an Asian-American who has many Asian-American friends, I was dying to see this movie, but like my friends, I never made it out during the first two weeks. It felt as if many people were saying, "Oh, I really want to see
Harold and Kumar," but when it came to actually seeing it... few had. Well, the truth is it's a mediocre movie that's extremely funny at times. There are plenty of jokes that fall flat on their faces, and the cheesy empowerment scenes are vomit-inducing (not to mention the White Castle burger-eating scenes). There's a funny cameo by Neil Patrick Harris. Basically, though, the only thing this new "stoner comedy" has to offer that others don't is Asian-American leads. It pretty much sticks to formula.
--A.Y.