Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle: Extreme, Unrated, Remastered

Does anyone really need a third version of Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle? This Extreme, Unrated, Remastered edition’s lack of valuable additional content (in the currency of laughter) is a strong argument for no. At the least this first adventure of Cheech and Chong Jr. should have been given time to age, to gain nostalgia rather than pummelling the public with a superfluous product release. But advertising campaigns aren’t often known for tasteful timing. That’s pretty much the whole purpose of this version: to show an extended preview of Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and remind audiences how loveable these two stoners are and the trouble their wacky cravings get them into. The film itself is still among the upper class of low-class, silly stoner comedies, riding largely on the immense charm of Kal Penn and John Cho, and of course, the ridiculous self-lampooning of Neil Patrick Harris, set to be featured more prominently in the sequel. This story of a successful medical student and his insecure stock analyst buddy derailed from a normal evening by a serious case of the munchies wouldn’t work so well if the characters didn’t feel so human. Plunking these two down in the most absurd situations allows the film to take as many far-fetched avenues as desired without it seeming like overkill. All the regular special features are included again in this version of the film. "The Art of the Fart” is still foul; a backseat interview with Cho and Penn is oddly boring, mostly due to the inane questions. "Drive-Thru Bites” is a highlight, especially the quip-a-minute segment with Eddie Kaye Thomas and David Krumholtz, and the revealing talk with NPH about why he signed on. The outtakes are hilarious and the Louis Guzman ending is superior to the original. However, other than lame footage of Cho and Penn’s induction into the White Castle Craver’s Hall of Fame and the sneak previews of Escape from Guantanamo Bay, there’s nothing worth justifying this extraneous release of dumb fun.