A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Harold & Kumar (John Cho & Kal Penn) are no longer friends because Harold is married and has decided that Kumar's friendship is trouble.  Now Harold needs to find a 12 foot Christmas tree to appease his father-in-law (Danny Trejo), and Kumar still loves him enough to help him, despite the fact that Harold has become a stuck-up douchebag.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Kal Penn, John Cho, Danny Trejo, Thomas Lennon, Amir Blumenfeld, Paula Garces, Elias Koteas, Jordan Hinson, Patton Oswalt, Bobby Lee, Ashley Coss, Chloe Coss, Hannah Coss, RZA, Da'Vone McDonald, Yasen Peyankov, John Hoogenakker, Eddie Kaye Thomas, David Krumholtz, Neil Patrick Harris, Daneel Ackles, Bennett Saltzman, Jake M. Johnson, Richard Riehle

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Proceed with Caution.  It's wacky, but not in a clever way.  The most interesting thing is the weird ways in which they attempt to use the 3D psychedelically.  But I still hate 3D.  First it makes me dizzy, and then it puts me to sleep.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  The funniest parts are around a baby's first drug trips, so that's bound to be really unfunny to parents-- mostly because parents have no sense of humor about how kids do the darndest things!

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  Actually, it is sort of depressing at the beginning, when you see these two best friends who no longer talk.  Why do people who get married think they're so much better than those who don't?  Have they forgotten that over 50% of marriages end in divorce?  Do they think they're unsusceptible to that statistic?  Seriously married people, get off your high horses, and respect those people who were there for you when you were just a lonely loser, you may need them again sooner than you think.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Despite Your Highness's best efforts, this one takes the award for longest penis.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  Even after his hiatus to work in the White House, Kal Penn has not forgotten how to act and be charming.  A few others start to break out in some of the miniscule roles, allowing you to picture them in bigger parts in future movies, including Jake Johnson of The New Girl, Bobby Lee of Mad TV, and Amir Blumenfeld of pretty much nothing.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  The 3D effects are noticeable, especially when you consider that Todd Strauss-Schluson is essentially a first time feature director.  Aside from those, it could have been directed by anybody.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  I just wish that Harold & Kumar had rekindled their friendship earlier on, because while the plot is clearly meant to be about the rekindling, the script is missing the love that used to be the reason Harold would put up with or go along with all of Kumar's hijinks.  Without the love, it's just one character annoying another, and that's not funny.  It's sad.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas

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Fred Claus

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: It turns out that Santa (Paul Giamatti) has an older brother, named Fred (Vince Vaughn). Fred is bitter about being in Santa’s shadow his whole life (eternity), and as a result has grown up to be something of a huckster. When Fred asks his brother to give him $50,000 for his latest scam, Santa decides to make him earn it by working at the North Pole. But bringing Fred to the North Pole turns out to be Santa’s biggest mistake.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, John Michael Higgins, Miranda Richardson, Rachel Weisz, Kevin Spacey, Kathy Bates, Elizabeth Banks, Bobb’e J. Thompson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Trevor Peacock

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. If you’re one of those people who loves a new Christmas movie every holiday season, this one will do the trick. While the director and star of Wedding Crashers seem like an unlikely duo to bring you your year-end feel-good Santa Claus movie, there’s nothing raunchy to beware of here, and the more mature jokes are hidden in innuendo. Vince Vaughn and David Dobkin do bring their signature styles to the look and feel of this film, so it has a tad more edge than your average Christmas fare—in other words it’s not all sweet and corny. In the end, it probably won’t make any “Top 10 Christmas movies ever made” lists, but it’s good enough to get played, viewed and enjoyed on TV every holiday season.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Yes, thanks to Vince Vaughn’s classic fast-talking rants and rambles, which sometimes make interesting and innovative points you may never have thought of yourself, and other times don’t make any sense at all, but are nonetheless amusing thanks to Vaughn’s commitment to idea that they do make sense. Don’t expect his usual R-rated level of humor, but considering the PG restrictions, it’s not bad at all. Also notable are some great cameos they got for a self-help group that Fred attends.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It almost had a chance at the end, when the sappy conclusion kicks in, but you’d have to be a real sucker to get taken off guard by this one.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Vaughn is always good for an MTV Popcorn award nomination. I’m thinking for the “Best Fight” category, for his fight with Ludacris, the elf.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Very professional.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: In my opinion broad comedy is the hardest genre to master as a director, and David Dobkin has it down. If he had shot the physical comedy wrong, he could’ve missed what’s funny about the pratfalls. If he had cut to the dialogue wrong, he could’ve ruined the jokes. And if he had lit the scenes wrong, he could’ve made it look like a big, fake situation, instead of convincing the audience that this ridiculous scenario could actually happen in some remote fantasyland. In this film he is also faced with the challenge of creating three visually distinct worlds, and making them feel like they are all part of the same movie. The transition from the distant past, when Santa and Fred were kids, to the modern world, where Fred lives now, to Santa’s home at the North Pole actually help suck you into the movie. Also, most of the special effects where seamless, rather than distracting, as I find special effects often can be.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I appreciate that they tried to do something original with Christmas by inventing a brother for Santa Claus and creating a sibling rivalry. Aside from that very fresh concept, all the originality in the script seems to come from Vince Vaughn’s improvisations, and not so much from the screenwriters. Also, it is kind of strange to sees Santa as the antagonist. Santa is never mean—after all, he’s a Saint—but you can’t help but resent him a little bit, because he’s the bane of our hero’s existence, and the reason that Fred is so bitter. How could Santa know so much about so many, and not see that it’s kind of his fault that Fred turned out the way he did?

Q: Is there anything else outstanding about the movie?

A: The North Pole has been done so many times, that it’s always fun to see a new stylistic take on it. I enjoyed the scenic design in this case, as they depicted it as grandiose and classy, rather than kitchy, like some renditions I’ve seen of the North Pole. (Okay, I’ll give, I’m referring to The Santa Clause 3—yes, I’ve seen all of them).

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