By Matthew McEvoy
Cult duo Harold & Kumar bring festive cheer this spliffmas, reuniting for their unashamedly funny third outing.
If irreverent, grotesque and overly improbable humour is to your taste, then A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas will be right up your tree.
The humour is still as puerile as the last two films, yet there is a warmer, less outlandish touch. It plays on the value of family and friendship during the Yuletide season.
The story revolves around Harold (John Cho) and Kumar’s (Kal Penn) quest to search for a new Christmas tree, after a highly unlikely series of mishaps potentially ruins Harold’s in-law’s Christmas, in particular Danny Trejo who plays a ferocious father-in-law.
Their late-night quest sees them take on a Ukrainian drug-baron, a dance off with How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris and a run in with Santa.
The 3D aspect is deployed effectively, if at times slightly nauseatingly, with cheeky nods to the audience reminding you that you are watching it in 3D and the ruin-your-retina action sequences.
Like its predecessors, it is still a bit hit-and-miss and you probably will not leave the cinema wheezing, but there are some genuine laugh-out-loud moments which, coupled with the surreal element, really make it a credible alternative to those Home Alone re-runs, or something with Hugh Grant in it.
Release date: December 9