Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004) User Reviews (366)

If stoner comedy has a place in the satire canon, this is one of the best.

[JohnDeSando · 30 July 2004]

If two chicks sitting in stalls playing 'Battleshits' while the two Indian and Asian 'heroes' hide between them suffering the sounds and smells of scatological low humor sounds funny to you, then you should consider seeing 'Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle.' My last stoner movie, the remake of 'Starsky and Hutch,' was indeed Sunday school by contrast.

Director Danny Leiner ('Dude, Where's My Car?') has taken this genre and made a classic, not just because it exploits every possible ethnic stereotype with zeal equaled only by 'Bad Santa's' decimating the Christmas formula. 'Castle' has such fun imitating the roguish good will of the Hope/Crosby road pictures while commenting on the egregious weaknesses of parents and police that almost anyone who doesn't mind a breast or two bared in the name of satire can laugh heartily at modern adult pretensions and youthful indiscretion.

Harold and Kumar are trying to find an all-night White Castle after experiencing the sudden yearning that afflicts almost anyone who has had a 'slider' burger. Like that little square of fat and calories, the pot and girls are just too good not to indulge now and then. The two early twenties students, one a serious stock analyst and the other a lazy pre-med genius, are like Hope and Crosby in their witty repartee and canny ability to escape harm. Being delivered from the wrath of seriously deformed 'Freak Show' and his siren wife doesn't deter them from considering the affections of the battling babes or idolizing Neil Patrick Harris in a cameo playing himself as a lethal womanizer.

More serious is the multicultural subtext about stereotyping (Asians are nerdy number crunchers and Indians are overachieving medical doctors, for instance) overturned by, for instance, morphing a seemingly 'Joy Luck' club gathering into a raunchy party or exposing a gang of mouthy skinheads as 'girliemen.' It's all pop-cult fun at our own expense, something akin to actually enjoying the articles in 'Playboy' even if they weren't our reason for buying the mags.

My grandson Cody and I bonded once again, this time just laughing at the silliness, enjoying the satire, and figuring how we could get his dad to allow his young brother to see it, despite the lurid spots that give spice and lend naughtiness to our increasingly dangerous lives.

If stoner comedy has a place in the satire canon, this is one of the best.

Hilarious Slacker Humor

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 5 October 2013]

Harold Lee (John Cho) is a meek Asian who gets picked on all the time. He can't even get up the courage to talk to his neighbor Maria (Paula Garcés). Kumar Patel (Kal Penn) is his highly inappropriate slacker roommate who works hard NOT to get into medical school. They get stoned together and feel the need for White Castle.

This is full on slacker humor. The two guys make great comedic chemistry without the usual comedian. Their humor really comes from their friendship. The fact that they're both Asians is almost a side issue except for some ignorant racists characters in the movie. NPH makes a hilarious outrageous cameo.

It's all about the Journey...

[jon.h.ochiai · 8/10 · 8 August 2004]

With the title "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle", how can one not see this movie? Well, one could, and would be missing a very funny movie. H&R is genius creative marketing, and the director Danny Leiner's movie is actually funnier than it's trailer. The movie demographic is probably from 15 to 25-- totally not mine. Written by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, the story is more hit than miss, with inspired moments and a drugged out cool. Consequently, the humor can be gross out bathroom humor. However, "Harold & Kumar" can be clever funny, and has moments of comic genius. In the beginning, Kumar(Kal Penn) is having a medical school interview, and the dean (a classically clueless Fred Ward) asks him why he isn't already in school with his perfect MCAT scores. Kumar says, "Just because you're hung like moose, doesn't mean you have to do porn." I was rolling. John Cho and Kal Penn as Harold and Kumar have a natural chemistry and are completely charming. Cho and Penn overcome much of the movie's inconsistencies.

Harold (Cho) is the straight Korean guy who works as an associate at an investment bank. Kumar is the free spirited Indian guy, who interviews with medical schools, but never accepts. That way his father keeps supporting him. It's Friday, and one of the partners at Harold's firm dumps a report on Harold, so that he can party with some babes-- unbeknown-st to Harold. The report is due on Saturday. Harold is not having a particularly stellar day.

Kumar wants to smoke pot with his bud, regardless of Harold's deadline. Back at their apartment complex, we meet Maria (a gorgeous Paula Garces), the object of Harold's affection. Harold is in love with her, but has yet to utter a complete sentence to her in their daily elevator rides. So Harold and Kumar smoke weed and watch TV. Then they get the munchies, and thus begins their quest for White Castle-- somewhere in New Jersey.

Give props to Leiner, Hurwitz, and Schlossberg for ignoring political correctness and having fun with stereotypes. Even in this simplistic comedy, this frames the story as the Harold and Kumar evolve-- after the high subsides. The scenes where Harold is giving career advice at a college Asian club meeting or where Kumar is talking with his father and older brother who are both doctors at the hospital are funny, and have an air of authenticity. Also the story plays off the fact that our duo are perceived geeks and are targets of the Extreme Sports Punks.

"Harold and Kumar" has some of the funniest scenes that sometimes blur lines of taste. Regardless, it's funny. In their quest for White Castle burgers and... getting laid, they end up at the home of mechanic Freakshow (an unrecognizable Chris Meloni). The "threesome" encounter with Lianne (the stunning Malin Akerman), Freakshow's wife, is hot and hilarious-- more than the trailer tease which is good. Perhaps, H&K's defining moment is when the high duo ride a cheetah through the woods. You have to see the movie for this. Neil Patrick Harris as himself is awesome. H&K pick the Harris on the road on the way to White Castle. Amazingly, his character is integral to the plot-- really. Harris is having fun playing against his own casting stereotype, and doing it well. He is totally out there.

You can figure out how this all ends. "Harold and Kumar" is not a cinematic masterpiece, but it is a lot of fun. John Cho is a talented reactive actor, some of his expression are priceless. Kal Penn is a great smart guy rebel, and a good actor. The two together are a solid comic team. I would see, for example "Harold and Kumar Go to Disneyland".

Hilarious Stoner Comedy...Everything "Dude Where's My Car" should have been

[[e-mail] · 9/10 · 9 September 2004]

"Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle" is an amusing, hilarious comedy not to be taken too seriously and not to be dismissed as just another silly stoner comedy. Certainly there are plenty of elements which appeal to those dophamine, "good times" movie-goers, yet there are also some classic instances of comedic greatness. Aside from chronicling two inane potheads on a quest to satisfy their appetites, "White Castle" offers a great coming-of-age and funny coincidence premise, which reminds us of the heavy, sadistic curveballs life hurls at us, sometimes when we merely desire something simple and cannot attain it. Here is a story of a simple goal by two simple minds: to find a White Castle hamburger joint and fulfill the lasting effects of "the munchies". Yet, as these two stoner friends come to realize, even the seemingly simplest of goals in life can be impossible to achieve, due to such disturbances as irony, circumstance, error, and misfortune, as they are all encountered in this journey. The comic elements are listless: stoner instinct-gone horribly awry, catastrophic error, not-so-pleasant raunchy surprise, near-death escapes in the most unlikeliest of ways, and the eventual finesse of overcoming all obstacles to finally enjoy a binge at a hamburger joint. This is a fresh, original, and satisfying comedy, and though it is nothing of a brilliant production or a cinematic masterpiece, there are plenty of the elements here which constitute for a barrel of laughs and a genuinely entertaining experience at the movies. ***1/2 out of ****

Jim Blesener and Cat Stevens Go to Black Shack

[MaxZorin · 9/10 · 31 July 2004]

I haven't laughed that hard at a movie in a long time. Being a fan of White Castle and the talents of John Cho and Kal Penn, this movie was a sure fire hit. Normally I would think a script about two stoners on a quest for White Castle sliders would be boring, if not retarded, material... but this movie just works.

Let's face it - the stoner angle may not appeal to everyone, but their quest is just too good/funny to pass up. There are more wacky moments than most "buds hit the road" comedies can muster. Imagine Neil Patrick Harris (NPH!!) playing himself - well, he flippin' does here, in a very funny, if slightly disturbing, role. The comradeship between John and Kal is fantastic. They'll probably remind you of two old buds from college - or maybe even hit closer to home.

I'm not sure if it's the great delivery by John/Kal, maybe the writing, or a both - this movie is really a great time. The whole theater was laughing - I haven't heard that in A LONG TIME. Did "Bruce Almighty" do that? No. Did "Envy" do it? Hell no. Did "50 First Dates" do it? Ummm, no.

Bottom line - this is a good movie that actually delivers the laughs.

This is either one of the stupidest movies I've ever seen or one of the funniest

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 8/10 · 7 April 2008]

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, in 2004 just from the title, I never wanted to see this movie, it just sounded so incredibly stupid and a waste of good film. But on Bravo a few months ago they had this movie on it's top 100 funniest films of all time and also they're not releasing the new sequel in a month, so I figured what do I have to loose? Just go ahead and give the movie a chance, so I rented it yesterday and watched it today, I hate to say it, I couldn't stop laughing. I mean from beginning to end this movie is just so unbelievably funny, I think it's because it doesn't take itself seriously and the actors just have so much fun with it. Kenn Pal and John Cho have a great chemistry for the buddy relationship of Harold and Kumar, not since Bill and Ted has been such a great stoner move.

Harold and Kumar are two friends who are about to enjoy their Friday night getting high, they get the munchies and are looking for the ultimate satisfying food: WHITE CASTLE. So they go on a trip to the local White Castle where they are disappointed to find out that the White Castle is closed, so they have to travel across town to get their craving. But the night is still young from emergency surgery to chilling with the cheetah's, from Neil Patrick Harris stealing their car to hang gliding, this is the ultimate night just to get the perfect square hamburger.

Seriously Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time. I couldn't believe how much I laughed out loud during this film, I think I have to join in with the fans on this movie. I just loved everything about this film except for the potty humor, that's always for me a huge turn off, but I got over it because this was just a fun movie. The script, the actors, the fantasy with the weed and Kumar was just beyond hilarious. I loved Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and highly recommend it, don't take it seriously, just have fun.

8/10

Take a break from your hecktic work life, and see this film and laugh your head off.

[mack3175-1 · 6 August 2004]

This movie is enjoyable only if you don't try to take it seriously. It was bust a gut laughs from start to finish. Next to DodgeBall, I would say this was tied as the funniest film of 2004. It starts out with Harold(John Cho) an overworked and very passive guy, who has a crush on the beautiful Maria(Paula Garces, remember her from ClockStoppers and T.V.'s Guiding Light). Harold has a best friend and roomate named Kumar(Kal Penn) who rather be stoned, then get a job. One night decide to go to White Castle fast food place. Then begins an unenjoyable night, where thing that could go wrong, really do. That is all I'm gonna say. Get ready to laugh your head off. It was quite edgy. But for some people, don't see it, if you get easily affended.

Funniest movie I have ever seen.

[userscreenname · 10/10 · 30 July 2004]

It is no exaggeration or flattery when I say this movie is the funniest movie I have ever seen. I haven't laughed so much at a movie since.... never, seeing how this is the funniest movie I have ever seen. What a great combination, a Korean guy and an Indian guy, both stereotypically known to be intellectually advanced. What was great about this movie was that they tackled modern day stereotypes and showed the stupidity in exploiting them. Also it showed the other side to these two minorities which is usually purposely ignored. This movie, as you see from the trailer, is about two guys who have the munchies and all they want is to go get some White Castle fast food. But this movie does not fall in the same category as Half Baked or How High; this is not another typical stoner film. It does not base its humor solely the idea of getting high, this movie is able to find humor in more then just that. Take the best comedic part of every movie you have ever seen and just combine them all together to make this one hilarious film. I personally, being Indian found much humor in this movie, along with something else, a little pride in the fact that this movie did not portray the lead Indian guy to be just another book worm with a heavy accent. I really enjoyed this film. Definitely worth a second, a third, and fourth watch, and then some. Don't worry my not so Indian, white friend, sitting next to me, got just as much a kick out of it as well. I don't know how many times I have to say it for it to sink it, but one last time, this movie is the funniest movie I have ever seen, it is hilarious!

Haven't laughed so hard since Something About Mary!

[EmmaNemms · 11 August 2004]

We stuck our heads in this movie because we had 15 minutes to kill before our movie started ("Collateral"). Surprise of surprises, we were glued to our seats and didn't want to leave! We're NOT 20-somethings or even 30-somethings, yet we found this entire movie eye-watering funny! These two actors are great at their craft, and their on-screen combination a perfect match. Our only regret is that we can't take our 14-year-old son to see it--the movie makes light of drugs and sex too much for his age (in our "parental opinion"). However, it's no worse in that regard than South Park or other hit movies involving college-age adults (a la Animal House). In fact, it has many more redeeming qualities than AH. Specifically speaking, the not-so-subtle (and rightfully so) social commentary. We hope that part isn't lost in the incredible humor. We HIGHLY recommend this movie to those of you who enjoy movies like There's Something About Mary, Four Rooms ("Misbehavers" vignette), etc. Favorite scenes: two sorority types in the restroom and the two African American men in the jail house!

A Hilarious Social Satire disguised as a drug-sex romp

[willden21 · 8/10 · 24 July 2004]

Yes this film is rude, crude, over the top, full of choppy editing (probably to ensure an R not NC-17)and sometimes cliché', but it works. Yes there is plenty of Drug Humor and sex humor, but the funniest stuff is actually the on going humor involved with racial inequality and characters who learn how to break those typifications because of their symbolic journey to White Castle. This film pushes the line between being too crude and sometimes too smart for it's own good. The Acting is Right on from the 2 leads and there are quite a bit of funny cameos.

This film is similar to the American Pie films, but substitute the cutesy wootesy sub plots and messages with a realistic and brash message about race and class equality and beating the typifications we in life get tagged with constantly.

The film has plenty of raunchy humor which acts as a great balance to the theme. It does dabble with some stereotypes but the times the stereotpyes are broken especially from Kumar who brings a light fun and jovial spirit to the film and has some of the funniest moments.

At times the editing is so bad, especially when Kumar is peeing by the bush.

The editing ruins a perfectly cast cameo which gets wasted it just ends up making no sense because of obvious excessive cuts.

But overall I found it very very funny, and I did not leave feeling stupid like I did after the funny yet inherently stupid Dodgeball, but left thinking about these social and racial issues. Overall, I left a funny satire with some strong points and ideas that sometimes get overshot but still resonate . . . . a little anyway. Still funny as hell though even if you miss the hidden almost subliminal message within the film.

Fast food craving

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 3 January 2006]

Not having seen this film in its commercial run, we caught with it recently when it was shown on cable. Director Danny Leiner has to be credited for the success of this movie. Written by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, this comedy about two roommates proves to be a winner.

The film is well paced and it's hard not to like its humor. The movie, in someone else's hands could have turned to be a disaster. Mr. Leiner keeps things under control as he presents Harold and his friend Kumar, who are one of the funniest duos one has seen on the screen in recent memory. Their antics sound so true that there is not a false moment in the film. Their long ride looking for the White Castle to satisfy their craving for some of those tiny burgers after smoking some excellent stuff is full of amazing situations.

John Cho, as Harold, and the irresistible Kal Penn, who plays Kumar, are seen at their best as they are never obnoxious characters like is the case in some other Hollywood movies. A great appearance by Neil Patrick Harris is one of the best moments in the film. The beautiful Paula Garces is seen as the object of these guys' admiration.

Danny Leiner and his creative team and the two stars will have the viewer laughing throughout the film.

A mostly crude but often funny account of a night out for food.

[TxMike · 7 January 2005]

I wouldn't recommend this broad comedy to anyone who is offended by crude humor, including sights and sounds of bodily waste functions and frank discussions of sex organs and sex acts. If you can get past that, then it is an often very funny escapade of roommates Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) deciding they had to find a White Castle burger joint before the night was over. There is a little gratuitous nudity, but not much. Cho and Penn are quite good in this.

Why did Harold and Kumar pick White Castle? They wanted to find something to eat, something they had not had in a while, and a TV commercial came on for White Castle, and they were hooked! From the scriptwriter's point of view, I suspect he wanted to pick an eating establishment that was definitely NOT gourmet. White Castle burgers are actually very tasty, but probably not very healthy, and have an almost cult following. I have them every time I visit Chicago.

A side story is Kumar applying for medical school, at his doctor father's strong urging. Fred Willard has a great small part as Dr. Willoughby who is interviewing Kumar for possible admission to his school.

Another side story is Harold's attraction to very pretty Maria (Paula Garces) who has an apartment down the hall. The highlight of some of his days is when he manages to spend 10 seconds with her as they ride the elevator together, but he doesn't even have the courage to talk to her.

Neil Patrick Harris, of 'Doogie Howser' fame, has a guest role that I found somewhat funny, but overall he seemed out of place. I could not see him as a stoned, horny guy who happens to be by the side of the road needing a ride.

SPOILERS FOLLOW. In short, Harold and Kumar end up driving all over New Jersey looking for a White Castle, with a number of narrow escapes from big trouble. They even visit Princeton. They finally find one as morning breaks, have their 40 burgers each, and are satisfied. In one overnight escapade, Kumar is mistaken for a doctor, he does an emergency procedure to save someone, and that motivates him to take his medical studies seriously. Harold gets courage, stands up to his weaselly workmates, and finally speaks to Maria in the elevator, even kissing her. As the movie ends, Maria is headed to Amsterdam for 10 days, and tells Harold she will be back. But Kumar convinces Harold that Amsterdam just might be a good place to visit.

Dumb But Hilarious!!!

[zardoz-13 · 8/10 · 18 August 2013]

Actors John Cho and Kal Penn play a pair of contemporary stoners in "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle" who experience such a craving for White Castle hamburgers after they smoke pot that they put their lives on the line to find the nearest franchise. They encounter a number of obstacles on their freaky, buddy road trip comedy. Our heroes tangle with a raccoon, a couple of hot babes who play a different form of 'battleship,' a group of redneck sports extremists, straddle a cheetah and ride it through the woods after dark, and are stranded after Neil Patrick Harris steals their car. During most of its nimble 88 minutes, "Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle" is a whole lot of dumb fun. Unlike many destination movies, our heroes do reach their destination and munch out. John Cho plays Harold Lee and he works for accounting firm, while Kumar Patel is attends a number of university admission interviews. Harold is the straight guy in that he is constantly serious, whereas Kumar is the clown who will do anything stupid. If you're searching for a lowest common denominator saga that you don't have to think about, "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" is good. There are several memorably funny scenes like the animal semen scene and the toilet scene.

Let's Go Get Some Mountain Dew!

[Spuzzlightyear · 8/10 · 31 July 2006]

I was actually quite amazed at how funny, smart and terrific "Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle" was. I was actually preparing myself for the stupidest movie imaginable. While this movie DOES have it's juvenile moments, it's also filled with some REALLY clever ideas and lines that made this one extremely enjoyable. This movie is about two stoners (with actual bright futures), who after a night of toking, get the munchies and decide that White Castle is the only way to go! Thus, this begins a SERIOUSLY funny road trip with racist cops, raccoons and uh, Neil Patrick Harris met along the way! John Cho and Kal Penn do a great job as the title stoners here, but they are almost eclipsed by the great supporting cast. Look for breakout Canadian actor (and personal fave) Dov Tiefeenbach as a particularly zonked weed dealer). But I think my favorite characters are the EXTREEEEEME dudes who do nothing but do EXTREEEEEME sports, eat EXTREEEEME Doritos and drink Mountain Dew! They also say "Extreme" a lot. These guys gave me the extreme giggles. They were great. A real surprise, this is something I wouldn't mind owning.

Funny stuff man, pass the pipe

[dfranzen70 · 7/10 · 8 April 2005]

Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) are a couple of college-educated smart dudes who also happen to love the wacky tobacky. But they're not typical stoners, either; Harold is an investment banker, and Kuman is a medical whiz whose father is trying to get into med school. So although they're lovable losers who just wanna get high, the boys aren't complete slackers, either.

The movie deals with the duo's journey one evening to White Castle and the various wild (and increasingly unlikely) events that befall them during their travels. Funny thing is, most people can probably relate to this, putting aside the drug portion of the program. You remember your college years, right? Didn't you ever take a road trip somewhere, just on a whim? You could, back then. Sure, you'd think nothing more of trekking up to Niagara Falls, 14 hours away, for a weekend. You didn't have responsibilities back then, so it was cool.

Anyway, when Harold and Kumar discover that the White Castle burger joint they thought was nearby has been gone for five years, they decide to drive 45 minutes to lovely, elite Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where the closest WC resides. Along the way, they stop off at Princeton University to try to score weed and hot babes, run into surf punk jerkos who harass them at every opportunity, take the police on a wild chase, get incarcerated, bust out of jail, and even meet Neil Patrick Harris, he of the long-gone Doogie Howser show.

All in one night.

It's a justifiably ludicrous scenario, and yet its implausibility is what works so strongly for it. For crying out loud, they ride a cheetah! They hang glide! Just the anticipation of What Might Happen Next is enough to keep all but the most apathetic of viewers from giving a rat's buttocks.

Through all the chaos, Harold and Kumar don't always see eye to eye - just like in real life. Each fights the other from time to time, with blame for their current predicament being concentrated like rage in an anarchist. But though they're bickering and sniping, we know that Harold and Kumar will be there for each other through it all and will - we fervently hope - survive the night to feast on White Castle hamburgers and fries.

There are a few reasons that this movie might not appeal to everyone. There are drug references. There's nudity. There's profanity. And there's the fact that zillions of people have never even heard of White Castle, let alone had one of its famous (infamous?) burgers. White Castle burgers are known for their small size and affordability, making them favorites of college kids. Hey, you can buy a SACK of White Castle Sliders. How cool is that? A sack of burgers! Cho and Penn are appealing as the titular duo, charming but not self-aggrandizing. Doubtless a lot of people watched the movie and said to themselves, "Dude! I know that guy!" And indeed I did. I knew a guy who's a dead ringer for Kumar. Absolutely down to every fiber of his personality. So for me, the movie was pleasantly familiar.

Do Harold and Kumar make it to their Shangri-La, their Mecca, their holies of holy lands, White Castle? Well, maybe. But as perhaps they could tell you, it's the puff that's the most fun, not the exhaling.

Unbelievably funny - The smartest 'dumb' movie I've seen in years

[filmbuffette · 10/10 · 31 July 2004]

The movie is absolutely hilarious. It's light years beyond Dude Where's My Car?, or for that matter any stoner/dumbass flick I've seen in years. This will be a cult comedy classic, one you watch ten times till you know all the words.

How many times do you get to see someone so excited over a giant bag of marijuana that he dances slow-motion in circles with it, then marries it, then bitch-slaps it because it served him bad coffee, then sobs and hugs it, crying, "I love you honey!"? (This is a dream sequence, and uh it's funnier that it sounds.)

Or this description of seeing Katie Holmes topless: "You know the holocaust? It was, like, the complete opposite of that, man!"

Or when a med school admissions officer asks one of the lead characters, who has a perfect score on the MCATs, why he doesn't want to be a doctor. "Just because I'm hung like a moose doesn't mean I have to be a porn star!"

Hilarious- simply brilliant

[linax1 · 10 August 2004]

OK, maybe I "got" this movie because I'm a recent graduate of an ivy-league school (and I can relate to Harold and Kumar, and know about 200 people like them), but I didn't stop laughing. And I'm not a person who is into "American Pie" type movies- yet this was still totally hilarious. I think it is going to be one of those cult comedies, like "Office Space" or "Old School" that people watch over and over again.

Listen, don't go in expecting an academy award winning film, but just go in ready to laugh. I thought the writing had real wit, not to mention the hidden references and one liners that any film buff will appreciate.

Go see this movie- I really don't think it will disappoint. I'm a real cinephile, I see everything and am usually quite picky, but I loved this film!!

Too Good To Miss!

[monicabingfallon · 31 July 2004]

When my best friend said that she was going to go see this movie, I said I wanted to come, not even knowing what the movie was about, but just so I could have a good time (and because I love White Castle). I'm so glad I saw it. I can honestly say that I have never laughed so hard in a theatre before. This is by far the funniest movie I have ever seen. I love it!! Too good!!! I will definitely go to see it again! I'm telling everyone I know what a great movie it is! Sure, there are a lot of people that are going to say it looks stupid and it's for teens. But seriously, people go to see movies to have a good time, and this movie certainly delivers. If only those Oscar morons would start nominating good stuff, I can say that this has a great chance to win.

I can guarantee I'll be buying it the day it comes out on DVD!

You can't dismiss that craving feeling!

[lost-in-limbo · 6/10 · 17 May 2006]

An Indian-American med student Kumar and his roommate an Asian-American investment banker Harold go on a night road trip after smoking some dope to feed their craving hunger for some White Castle burgers, which was advertised when they were watching TV. On their way to White Castle - Harold has got some of the boss's work to finish off by the following morning and Kumar has got an interview for a possible job aspect the next day. But both of them didn't plan on the night to be filled with many out-there adventures and humorous obstacles stopping them from getting to their preferred destination.

Why don't you roll us up another one, dude! Welcome, to the new potheads of this generation! I'm fan of Cheech and Chong, but now the mantle in this new age has moved on to some far more intelligent and rather outcast buddy stoner's - Harold and Kumar. I say they are worthy of it too. It comes to no surprise that the director Danny Leiner made the even more stupider and whacked out film "Dude Where's My Car". Here Leiner repeats some of that goofiness, but the circumstances have changed around and it's a far more better effort. Maybe the story and it's high-jinks were not heavily populated with drugs or even entirely centred on it (say like most of Cheech and Chong's flicks), but it compensates that with its break-neck pace, mellow soundtrack and with a whole range of humorous gags. Some were just so politically incorrect, while others were filled with stoner humour, or they were just so crassly, infantile. But the main thing about this film is that it just plain stupid fun that parodies a lot of stereotypes and putting a spin on it to its advantage. While providing us with a couple of likable stoner's who have a lot more things on their mind, but their main priorities on this outing are some dope and White Castle. The story as it goes is simple; there on their way to White Castle, but a whole lot of small episodes sidetrack them before they get there. So, the plot is thin and it treads a familiar path like many teen comedies do, but really it doesn't matter too much because there are plenty of adventurous and comical situations that work out (like that of the "extreme" jocks) than actually misfire. Well, actually there's a small sub-plot involving Harold having a thing for his neighbour Maria that adds something else to the table. Really it's all about a bunch of ripe characters and ludicrous scenarios. Another factor that keeps this above the usual fluff is the highly witty, self-aware script that adds a fresh outlook with the irony of every situation seeming to find its way into the frame. Plus having a pair of protagonists who have a bit more brains and a strong friendship in nice change to the formula of the teen format. John Cho and Kal Penn's chemistry is perfect and they are sensational in their parts as the uptight and focused Harold and then you got happy-go-lucky Kumar. The supporting roles also have some funny moments from David Krumholtz, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Jamie Kennedy, Neal Patrick Harris and Fred Willard. And Paula Garces is gorgeous in her small part as Maria.

There's not too much behind this film, but I found to be a pleasing piece were no one is safe from this distasteful onslaught. Enjoyable hokum that you can't help but get the munchies.

John Cho and Kal Penn create some timeless and lovable characters in this amusing stoner comedy that has brains beneath its pothead screwball antics

[IonicBreezeMachine · 8/10 · 1 December 2022]

Tightly wound investment banker Harold Lee (John Cho) and laid-back and carefree medical student Kumar Patel (Kal Penn) are best friends and roommates who often get high together. Harold is frustrated with having a large assignment dropped on him that he needs to now work on through the weekend, while also being too shy to make a move on his crush Maria (Paul Garces) who lives in the same building as him and Kumar. When Harold and Kumar get high together, they soon develop cravings for White Castle burgers and set out to find a White Castle, but their quest to find a White Castle is anything but simple and straightforward.

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle is a 2004 comedy film written by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg and directed by Danny Leiner. Hurwitz and Schlossberg were inspired to write the film after feeling burnt out by the various teen and college skewing comedies that featured one dimensional characters who didn't look like anyone in their group who were typically more diverse and wrote the screenplay hoping to make something that was smart, funny, and based off their best friends from high school. The duo had trouble getting the film made at different production companies due to executives often misunderstanding the nature of Harold and Kumar as characters and assuming the two were exchange students rather than second generation Americans. In order to avoid whitewashing the duo specifically wrote several scenes calling attention to the ethnicity of the characters in the script and the movie was eventually greenlit at New Line Cinema thanks to two junior executives who decided to take a chance on the film. Both John Cho and Kal Penn were cast as the leads with the two developing a real life friendship while trying to develop chemistry with each other and that certainly comes across in the final film. The movie was a hit with critics who appreciated the subversion of stereotypes and re-invention of stoner film conventions, and while the film performed modestly in theaters it achieve a massive cult audience once it hit home video resulting in Harold & Kumar becoming cultural touchstones and for good reason.

As one can gather from the title alone, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle is about as simple a plot you can get for this type of comedy film as the plot mainly exists for the sake of taking our characters through comic misadventures. Despite the film's plot being thin, the characters are anything but as Harold and Kumar are both well rounded fully formed characters with established personalities that play off well against one another and make their misadventures very entertaining. In the tradition of The Odd Couple, John Cho plays a fastidious tightly wound counter point to Kal Penn's more laid back and care free slacker giving us a unique spin on that classic comedic dynamic. Am I saying John Cho and Kal Penn are my generations Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau? Well I'm not not saying it. The movie gives our heroes a number of entertaining and silly tangents involving boil stricken tow truck drivers with open marriages, loud mouthed "extreme" delinquents, and proudly sadistic cops that function not only as funny set pieces but also funny skewering of stereotypes.

Harold & Kumar easily rank among the traditions of comedic duos very much taking the crown from forebearers such as Cheech & Chong in the 70s and 80s, or Jay and Silent Bob in the 90s. With likable characters well-acted by John Cho and Kal Penn and crazy misadventures that are smart and silly, this is a trip well worth taking.

Very dumb & very funny

[allmoviesfan · 7/10 · 10 November 2023]

John Cho and Kal Penn are fantastic as Harold and Kumar, two stoners who decide they're going to smoke some weed and drive to their local White Castle. They want those sliders and nothing else is going to suffice.

That's the entire plot of the film - simple and effective.

Of course, their journey is far from a smooth one, and there are all sorts of outrageous scenes involving racist cops, a dude called Freakshow (brilliantly played by Christopher Meloni of "Law and Order: SVU" fame), a racoon, a dude who pees close to other dudes and a bleach-blonde Neil Patrick Harris playing himself. It was hard, at times, not to laugh out loud.

Dumb? Yes; mind-numbingly so at times. Funny? Absolutely; outrageously at times. Well worth your time.

One truly will have a high old time with this.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 28 March 2012]

It's appreciable that writers Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg and director Danny Leiner are among those keeping the stoner comedy alive and kicking in the 21st century. It stars the personable, and genuinely funny, pair of John Cho and Kal Penn as Harold and Kumar, two fun loving guys who inevitably get the munchies after getting high, deciding that White Castle will be their destination for the night. As the viewer might expect, on their way to the ultimate meal they will experience one setback after another, in the tradition of misadventure comedy such as "Adventures in Babysitting" and "License to Drive". Episodes include their meeting with Neil Patrick Harris, playing a crazed, perverted version of himself, their having to improvise like mad when they're mistaken for doctors, their encounter with a character named "Freakshow" (a memorable Christopher Meloni), their repeated confrontations with a punk gang who use a certain word EXTREMEly frequently, and other assorted escapades. Heavily satirical as well as rude, crude, and outrageous, one can see that there's more going on here than just lowbrow comedy (and it does get very low, as witness the "battle *beep*" sequence in the washroom), as it pokes merciless fun at stereotyping. Leiner, cast, and crew take an amazing "everything and the kitchen sink" approach to their wild and witty movie, throwing in things like animation and utter nonsense involving a possibly rabid raccoon. The soundtrack is full of catchy tunes and the pacing is consistently effective. A few cameos add to the fun factor; in addition to Harris, we get to see Fred Willard, Anthony Anderson, an uncredited Jamie Kennedy, Ethan Embry, and Ryan Reynolds; other familiar faces include David Krumholtz, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Shaun Majumder, and Boyd Banks, with lovely Paula Garces and Malin Akerman as Maria and Liane, respectively. There's even a message about learning to stand up for oneself, and having confidence, in the end. One can't help but feel good for our leads when things go their way and laugh at the misfortunes they endure. Cho mostly plays straight to the more zany Penn, but they both earn a nice number of laughs with their performances. All in all, this is a decent diversion that always manages to come up with some great bits of business and is anything but boring. Seven out of 10.

Brilliant and Underrated - Not just a "stoner comedy"

[fishy1999 · 10/10 · 19 March 2005]

This movie was absolutely great. I've watched it about 5 times now over the past few weeks. For all those that love The Big Lebowski, this movie will make a lot of sense. There are loads and loads of memorable lines in the film. Even more interesting was the interesting metaphors about race relations, immigration and assimilation in the US. It seems to me that White Castle (not, in my view, randomly selected as the munchie destination of choice) represented that idealized destination that all those pursuing happiness and the American Dream seek out. A telling moment is where Harold and Kumar, before getting to White Castle, see their Jewish friends Goldstein and Rosenberg happily enjoying their hotdogs in another fast food joint. They gaze longingly at their two friends and Harold says "I want what they have". He elaborates that he means having exactly what you want, not hot dogs per se. You could argue that this was a metaphor for Asian-American and Indian-American first or second generation immigrants looking to Jewish-Americans as examples of a group that came to the US and managed to be admitted to the "White Castle", to assimilate and to ultimately attain the American Dream. I could be way off about this, but it's clear that immigration, assimilation and race-relations is a prominent theme throughout the film. Bottom line, the film is both hilarious, meaningful, and memorable.

It was fun and silly

[MLDinTN · 7/10 · 26 July 2005]

This had some laughs and was OK. It's about 2 ethnic potheads who must eat at White Castle. So they drive all over the place with one misadventure after another. Harold gets attacked by a raccoon; they keep meeting up with these bullies; Doogie House steals their car; Harold gets arrested after a run in with a jerk cop; they go to Princeton only to have a run in with hot chicks in a bathroom that is stank. The one part that was too absurd and should have been left out was them riding a cheetah. I mean they happen to run into a cheetah in New Jersey!

There's also a funny scene involving Kumar treating his bag of weed like a wife. And the Doogie Houser subplot was funny, especially when he's giving them $200 and telling them why.

FINAL VERDICT: If you like raunchy comedies, you'll like this.

Terrific movie from start to finish.

[deatman9 · 8/10 · 22 November 2012]

This will definitely always be one of my favorite comedies. It was not as good as the second one but still very very good. The actors did a great job and were both very funny. The writing was hilarious and fit to a T of what a story line should be. When I was in film class in school my teacher actually used this as a reference of how a perfect movie is with a beginning middle and end with lots of conflict.

This movie is about an Asian American and an Indian American who are best friends and real potheads. One night after a day of work they are sitting on their couch getting high when the munchies kick in. For those of you who don't smoke weed the munchies is a state of uncontrollable hunger. They decide to cure their munchies fit with some White Castle that they just saw a commercial for. So they set out on their quest to get burgers running into problem after problem mainly because of getting high.

This movie was just perfect from start to finish. Although there is some points where its almost unbearably low budget..I.E the drive through scene and the cheetah scene..however the movie is still hilarious and one of my favorites I recommend to anyone who loves to laugh.