A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS (Rated R)

Don’t be fooled by the holiday spirit of Christmas being included in the title of the raunchy comedy “A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas.”

This warning is a superfluous bit of information if you have even the vaguest familiarity with the two previous “Harold & Kumar” comic misadventures into the land of political incorrectness.

Fueled by a casual use of weed that would make Cheech and Chong proud, “Harold & Kumar” delights in being the outrageous stoner comedy that gets kicks out of a toddler high on everything from cocaine to ecstasy.

Of course, the little tot in question is only accidentally exposed to the fumes of marijuana smoke, a dust storm of blow and ecstasy pills mistaken for candy.

There are plenty of hijinks in this movie that should prove offensive to just about every conceivable ethnic and religious group. Even Jesus shows up in the company of two lovely topless angels.

While plot is not necessarily important here, the action revolves around the titular characters, estranged old buddies from college days who become reunited during the holiday season.

Harold (John Cho), now a successful Wall Street financier, lives in a nice suburban home with his beautiful Maria (Paula Garces).

On the other hand, Kumar (Kal Penn) remains a slacker living in a shabby Manhattan apartment. His girlfriend has given up on him becoming a responsible person. But for the recent news of pregnancy, she would probably move on.

On Christmas Eve, Harold finds that Maria’s extended Mexican family has descended on their home, including a hostile father-in-law (the wonderfully menacing Danny Trejo) who is abnormally exuberant about the holidays.

Meanwhile, Kumar discovers a package addressed to Harold at his door, and decides to deliver it in person to Harold’s New Jersey home.

The content of said package is an enormous joint. Naturally, Kumar lights up the doobie, only to cause a fire that destroys the beautiful Christmas tree that Harold’s father-in-law had lovingly arranged.

Of course, complications arise and mayhem ensues as the bickering old pals set out on a desperate quest to locate a replacement tree of similar quality.

With Maria’s family attending Midnight Mass, the boys have only hours to find the perfect Douglas fir, no easy task late on Christmas Eve.

Their first encounter is with two perfidious African-American tree vendors who just sold the tree they reserved over the phone to someone else.

As a consequence, a chain of events is set in motion that leads to a car chase, an encounter with the Russian mob, the accidental shooting of Santa Claus in the face and a reunion with Neal Patrick Harris, though not necessarily in that order.

Along the way, Harold and Kumar get stoned and end up in a hallucination that involves an inventive use of Claymation to illustrate the fierce power of a deranged oversized snowman.

Much of the slapstick and the sight gags are random silliness, from topless nuns in a shower scene to Harold’s elderly Mexican relative being mistaken for a flower vendor in his own home.

“A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas” is, above all, a collection of often disconnected gags that are designed for maximum outrageous fun.

On that score, this film succeeds and proves to be very funny. Seeing the threatening Danny Trejo wearing a colorful Christmas sweater is priceless.

At long last, “Harold & Kumar” makes spectacular use of 3-D technology as the audience is frequently assaulted by various projectiles, including huge puffs of pot smoke, traffic cones, shards of glass and a massive private part.

ENTERTAINMENT BOOK UPDATE

This column did not intend to initiate a regular book feature, but I can’t resist a mention of the astonishing “Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis,” a spectacular collection of original photographs.

Curator and photographic preservationist David Wills has amassed one of the world’s largest independent archives of original Marilyn Monroe photographs.

The book catalogs a dazzling portfolio of images from every period of the star’s adult life, from her wedding day in 1942 until just weeks before her death two decades later.

Included are many previously unpublished and rarely seen shots. The works of noted photographers Richard Avedon, George Barris, Bernard of Hollywood, Philippe Halsman, Milton Greene and many others are on full display.

Highlights include rare candid shots of Marilyn with Marlon Brando, Ronald and Nancy Reagan, Queen Elizabeth II, Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable and Joe DiMaggio, to name a few.

Arriving in time for the holidays, “Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis” is the perfect coffee table book gift for the fan of this iconic Hollywood star.

 

 

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.