![]() There is nothing accusatory in the nature of the film, but rather it is an equal-opportunity offender. The over-the-top humor in “Guantanamo Bay” makes racism a more accessible topic to discuss. The only stereotyped group the film does not spare are some white supremacists the friends encounter who are ridiculed without mercy. Harold and Kumar decide to flee, but their unfounded prejudices are revealed when the men bring out tools to help fix the pair’s car. Later, the pair interrupts a street basketball game in a rundown neighborhood, accidentally destroying the shoes and jukebox of many muscular Black men. They meet a group of Cubans on their way to America without documentation who are kind enough to transport them to Florida. ![]() The two friends have no right to an attorney, a trial or, as Fox puts it, “freedoms.”Īfter Harold and Kumar miraculously escape prison, the film questions the stereotypes they view the world through. Through its absurdist humor, “Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay” addresses the way obsessed politicians treat suspected terrorists. Of course, these two are actually just American citizens with bad luck. Harold and Kumar wait in an interrogation room as an idiotic and racist Homeland Security officer, Ron Fox (Rob Corddry, “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”), celebrates capturing a member of Al Qaeda and a North Korean terrorist. When she sees him light a makeshift bong in the lavatory, she screams “Terrorist!” and sends the flight into chaos. Then, on board the plane, a racist elderly white woman views Kumar as a turban-wearing, beard-sporting, evilly-laughing terrorist, when he is really a goofy Indian guy in a sloppy outfit. At airport security, Kumar is subjected to racial profiling through a “random” search (although he did make a scene to smuggle in drugs). “Guantanamo Bay,” released in 2008 when awareness of xenophobia was not at the forefront of popular discourse, examines the justice system and the way America treats minorities in a revealing light. Through a series of improbable, but hilarious, fortunes and misfortunes, the two end up on the run from Homeland Security. ![]() Unfortunately, Kumar’s marijuana-related habits lead to their arrest and sentencing to Guantanamo Bay. Harold is an investment banker, while Kumar purposefully failed to apply to medical school. Harold (John Cho, “Columbus”) and Kumar (Kal Penn, “How I Met Your Mother”) are roommates planning a trip to Amsterdam as a romantic gesture. It challenges stereotypes throughout the movie, however, in a way the first and third films do not accomplish as successfully. The second installment, “Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay,” received only mild reviews. The “Harold and Kumar” franchise might fall under the category of “stoner comedy,” but these films are littered with clever observations on race and politics. This week: “Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.”
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