Warm, crazily inventive and sometimes hysterical...
Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (2004)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:8
Fresh:6
Rotten:2
Average Rating:6.3/10
Consensus: The likable leads and subversion of racial stereotypes elevate Harold and Kumar above the typical stoner comedy.
Runtime: 88 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: Following up his hit DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR? writer-director Danny Leiner has come up with the riotous road-trip comedy HAROLD & KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE. Harold (John Cho) has graduated college and... Following up his hit DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR? writer-director Danny Leiner has come up with the riotous road-trip comedy HAROLD & KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE. Harold (John Cho) has graduated college and is now working at a cubicle, where he is abused by other workers and forced to do their jobs for them. Kumar (Kal Penn) is expected to go to medical school to follow in the footsteps of his father and brother, but he'd rather spend his time partying. The entire film takes place in one night, as wild Kumar is determined to get a sack of burgers at White Castle, even though his more staid roommate would prefer to stay home and finish a project for his officemates. While Kumar seeks fun and adventure, lusting after nearly every woman he meets, Harold dreams only of Maria (Paula Garces), the woman down the hall whom he likes but is too afraid to talk to. Harold & Kumar's excellent adventure includes an outrageous bathroom scene in a college; a cop who takes his job way too seriously; a group of extreme, rad dudes who harass Harold, Kumar, and a convenience store manager; LAW & ORDER: SVU's Chris Meloni as an incredibly disgusting possible psycho; and Neil Patrick Harris playing himself, making fun of his Doogie Howser image. In addition to plenty of raunchy--and very funny--references to sex, drugs, and rock & roll, Leiner also takes on stereotypes and the meaning of love. [More]
Starring: John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, Malin Akerman
Starring: John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, Malin Akerman, David Krumholtz, Paula Garces, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Siu Ta, Sandy Jobin-Bevans, Christopher Meloni, Gary Anthony Williams, Bobbi Lee, Fred Willard, Steve Braun, Ethan Embry, Luis Guzman, Jamie Kennedy
Director: Danny Leiner
Director: Danny Leiner
Screenwriter: Jonathan Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg
Producer: Greg Shapiro, Nathan Kahane
Composer: David Kitay
Studio: New Line Cinema
Reviews for Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
Behind all the Farrelly-esque gross-out humour and Cheech & Chong-isms lies a sensitive little picture with a deftly handled anti-racism slant.
There's an audience that will appreciate this, but they may struggle to see it through the smoke.
One secret of fiction is the creation of unique characters who are precisely defined. The secret of comedy is the same, with the difference being that the characters must be obsessed with unwholesome but understandable human desires.
That Cho and Penn are such likable actors and are so funny in their roles earns the movie more slack than it probably deserves and prevents it from being just another gross-out comedy.
Attacks of hunger and indigestion, comic hallucinations and episodes of flat-out insensibility are scrambled together on this goofy roller coaster ride of dope.
What could have just pushed the usual youth comedy buttons is instead a crafty spoof on issues from racial politics to American highway monoculture that belies its cover (and marketing) as only a dumb gross-out laffer.
A blissfully silly, character-driven road movie with impressive laugh-per-minute performance specs.
Latest News for Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
April 08, 2009:
Kal Penn Trades Acting for Public Service ![]()
"Harold and Kumar" star Kal Penn has given up acting -- but rather than pursuing a new career in hip-hop, Penn will be joining the Obama administration as the new associate... More...
July 25, 2008:
Mandate Greenlights Harold and Kumar 3 ![]()
They've gone to White Castle and escaped from Guantanamo Bay, but they aren't done yet: there's a Harold and Kumar 3 in the works. More...
April 24, 2008:
Box Office Guru Preview: Odd Couples Invade Multiplexes
Two new buddy comedies enter the marketplace during the final weekend of the spring box office hoping to cash in on what business is left in the last week before Iron Man flies... More...
October 12, 2007:
Star Trek XI Finds Its Scotty, Sulu
J.J. Abrams' Starfleet roster is quickly filling up.
Hot on the heels of this week's news that Eric Bana has signed on to play the heavy in Star Trek XI, The Hollywood... More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle at Rotten Tomatoes
- Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle at IGN
- Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

