Harold and Kumar sequel lacks intelligent humor

"Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay" is a supremely stupid movie.

As a sequel to the equally silly "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle," this should come as a surprise to no one.

Like the previous film, "Guantanamo Bay" chronicles these two lovable stoners through a series of fairly unrelated sequences as they journey toward their goal: in this case, a wedding in Texas to receive a pardon from a friend in Homeland Security, as Harold and Kumar have, as the title suggests, escaped from Guantanamo Bay.

The film opens immediately where the previous one left off. Kumar (Kal Penn) convinces Harold (John Cho) to follow his would-be lover to Amsterdam. On the plane they are apprehended as terrorists when air marshals confuse Kumar's bong for a bomb.

The two are sent to Guantanamo Bay by an overzealous government official played by an appropriately asinine Rob Corddry. After only a few minutes at the titular location, Harold and Kumar escape on a raft to Miami, and their journey begins in earnest.

From there, the movie becomes a series of five- to 10-minute segments as the two find themselves in numerous unlikely situations. They encounter an inbred Cyclops baby. They crash a KKK kegger. They meet Neil Patrick Harris of "Doogie Howser, M.D." fame, again. And, of course, they smoke a lot of weed - at one point with president George W. Bush himself.

These ridiculous scenes are funny and are luckily only infrequently broken up by a subplot involving Kumar's long-lost lover. A scene where he wins her back during a wedding ultimately falls flat because the light screenwriting never makes you connect with the characters.

Cho and Penn are very likable as Harold and Kumar, but the farcical nature of the stoner comedy genre makes it nearly impossible to really become concerned with the fate of their love lives or friendship - you just want to laugh.

The same can be said for the script's stabs at political commentary. As you might guess, a movie with "Guantanamo Bay" in the title has its touchy moments.

Like its predecessor (which was heralded as one of the first major Hollywood releases with two leads of Asian descent), this film attempts to tackle complex issues of race in a humorous manner. Unlike its predecessor, however, the writers set their sights on the government, directly criticizing the United States' post-Sept. 11 policies.

Corddry's government official is a blowhard racist who uses the Bill of Rights as toilet paper. The film is offering social criticism, but only as far as it advances a joke. Like "Borat" before it, this movie is being heralded as a risk-taking comedic treatise on what is wrong (and right) about America.

Unfortunately, it doesn't deserve such praise. Taking a stand against the Bush administration at this point in time is hardly surprising or adventurous. This is not "Dude Where's My Car" meets "Dr. Strangelove" as some critics have attested. Let's be realistic - this still is a buddy stoner comedy.

That's not to say this is a bad movie. It's a shining example of what a stoner comedy can be, but for all of its ambition it doesn't transcend the genre.

If you haven't seen "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle," do. It's a superior film. If you already are a fan, go ahead and see this film. It'll make you laugh, even if it doesn't blow your mind with a nuanced political message.