Harold and Kumar go to White Castle Film Review
The 2004 comedy Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle stars John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, Anthony Anderson, and Fred Willard. Producers are Greg Shapiro and Nathan Kahane. It is directed by Danny Leiner.
The story centers on two roommates, Harold and Kumar. Harold is a hard-working financial analyst, while Kumar tries to enter medical school. He doesn’t want to go to medical school and only goes to interviews so his dad can keep paying for his apartment. One night they find themselves craving the “perfect meal”, the White Castle burgers. So they headed to the local White Castle only to find a different burger joint in the same place. The guy in the coach tells Harold and Kumar about a 24-hour White Castle in nearby Cherry Hill. Along the way, they come across “weed,” a freak called Freakshow, a corrupt cop, a gang who constantly taunts them, a shooting victim, and a drugged Neil Patrick Harris.
This movie is another example of how you can make a movie based on the most trivial tasks and make it fun. Here we see two guys who want to eat at White Castle. They go out and instead of just driving straight to the scene, they take a detour and end up meeting all these interesting characters and facing very unusual situations. For example, after Harold and Kumar get a flat tire, they meet a religious man who has a tow truck. But this man is not just any man. It looks like a freak and is known as Freakshow. He speaks with a mountain accent and has boils on the side of his neck. Freakshow takes you home where you can fix your tire. Harold and Kumar are invited and meet their equally ardent and God-praising wife. Just when he’s about to do them, Freakshow walks in and wants to have a foursome. The boys run out of the house in horror.
Another case is when Harold is arrested and taken to jail. He was trying to hit Kumar but he missed and hit a policeman. The cop puts Harold in jail with a quiet black man who tells him that he was arrested for being black. Soon, the cops are called to a shootout somewhere, leaving Harold and the man alone in their cell unguarded. Kumar then sneaks through the vent to let Harold out. He falls to the ground through the ventilation grill and grabs the keys to his cell. But he gets distracted by a bag of marijuana on the cop’s desk. At this point, Harold is out of the cell, but the police return. They see the cell door open and assume that the black man is resisting arrest because he has a book in his hand. The police come in and check it out. Meanwhile, Harold and Kumar escape.
Despite its stark reputation, Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle actually has an important life lesson. You don’t have to settle for what you have if you want more. An example is when the boys arrive at the place where they thought there was a White Castle, but instead find a restaurant called Burger Shack. Harold and Kumar are tempted to eat there, but the man at the car window tells them that there is a 24-hour White Castle only 45 minutes away. They both agree to make the trip.
Later, after everything they’ve been through, they consider just going home. But they see two of their friends eating at Hot Dog Heaven and remember what it’s like when a man gets exactly what he wants. Harold and Kumar decide that nothing will stop them from reaching the White Castle and getting exactly what they want.
In closing, I think Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle is a classic. It’s hilarious and will make you want to watch it over and over again.