A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas (2011): Dir: Todd Strauss- Schulson / Cast: John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, Danny Trejo, Thomas Lennon: Christmas and pot smoking seem to be the holiday theme in this festive third outing featuring the Asian American Kumar and Chinese American Harold. The pair have gone separate ways with Harold now married and big on wall street, while Kumar is still his regular self living in an apartment and given the news that his girlfriend is pregnant. When an ominous package addressed to Harold lands outside his door, he delivers it only to end up burning the Christmas tree down that Harold's strict father- in-law brought. This simplistic setup is followed by numerous adventures to find a tree where they are hunted down by drug dealers, get a baby high on cocaine, and even accidentally shoot Santa himself. The humour is extra offensive this time out but features terrific 3-D elements including a sequence done in claymation. Director Todd Strauss-Schulson is backed with the same innovation that sold the first two films. Cho and Penn are still appealing as they find themselves again entrapped within strange subplots including one involving a waffle making robot. Neil Patrick Harris turns up in a great musical number although his vision of Heaven is offensive. The play on his sexuality is well placed. Danny Trejo as the grim father-in-law is given a background voicing his anguish. Thomas Lennon is very funny as an associate of Harold's whose baby gets stoned high. Colorful low blow holiday comedy about reconnection. Score: 6 / 10

The story goes back to the first movie's recipe of having a certain object as the final goal, in this case the Christmas tree. The story still develops as the previous movies did, quite unpredictable, with all those very crazy stuff of comedies. In a way, this doesn't bring anything new to the whole series. Also there seems to be a significant shift of orientation in this movie towards the more family movie genre. The movie shows a lot of family values. Even the final goal is about family acceptance. But I don't think this move paid off because it instead contradicts the crazy comedies the series has been known for. The acting overall is just as standard, and a little lower compared to the previous movies. Kal Penn and John Cho doesn't really develop the relationship between their characters further.

Harold and Kumar need a new joke book. Pretty much all the material here... about drugs, sex, religion, race... has been done before, in both their two previous pictures and in other 'adult' comedies... only better. The couple of exceptions are a scene where one of the hapless duo gets his genitalia frozen to a metal pole... have to say THAT'S original (Shame it's more cringeworthy than humorous, though). And a sequence set entirely in claymation while they're completely off their heads, which is inventive, if not really hitting the funny bone dead centre.Oh, I almost forgot... there's some added 3D moments for those who are 'lucky' enough to watch it on that format (I didn't). But honestly... if you miss out on seeing a doobie flying towards you, who cares? Neil Patrick Harris returns for his traditional cameo... we find out he faked his own death, faked being a homosexual and he HATES pancakes. ZZZZ. Moving on. They knock Santa Claus out of the sky, find out both of their partners are pregnant and celebrate Xmas by having a puff outside. How touching.Not destined to go down as a seasonal classic, I fear. 5/10

The film Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle deservedly became a cult classic in 2003, because besides its references to the "stoner" culture and the irreverent humor, there was a solid basis of sincere friendship which humanized the main characters, and avoided them to become simple caricatures making stupidities under the influence of marijuana (among other drugs). And on top of that, the chemistry between actors Kal Penn and John Cho was absolutely perfect. The sequel Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay was moderately entertaining but mediocre, because its disproportionate and surrealistic humor ended up sacrificing the dynamic between the main characters. So, I had low expectations before watching A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, because its trailers suggested a repetition of the febrile and unbridled style of the second film, instead of the "character comedy" from the first one. Fortunately, that expectation ended up being only partially true, so I ended up enjoying this third movie more than Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, but less than Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.The screenplay of A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas attempts to gradually increment the level of the main characters' adventures in order to bring some rhythm to the narrative, but when we lead to the cameo of Jesus Christ and Santa Claus' surgery, it's already too late to ask for any coherence or realism. However, co-screenwriters Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Scholssberg made the good decision of basing all those ridiculous things on the existing relationship between Harold and Kumar, something which brings a human touch to their vulgar adventures. Leaving the most absurd moments aside, A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas rounds on the re-discovery of an abandoned friendship, and in that aspect, Cho and Penn took their performances seriously. In other words, what I liked the most in this movie was the honest expression of loyalty and friendship between the main characters.The irreverent and politically incorrect humor is exactly what we can expect in a Harold and Kumar movie, so in order not to ruin the best moments of A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, I will mention that I approximately laughed 20% of the times, I smiled a 50%, and the remaining 30% produced a slight irritation on me. Something which starts well but ends up tiring a little bit is the satire of the 3D format...even though some of those jokes would have worked better watching it in the cinema. Anyway, I can give a moderate recommendation to A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas because it managed to keep me entertained, even though I would have preferred less surrealism, less exaggeration and more humor based on the interaction between the main characters.