Instead of a non-stop road trip of hilarity, the viewer is left with a bland stereotypical bus ride of the southern states and an insulting representation of Americans in today’s society.

It has been four years since Harold and Kumar last went to White Castle, and within that time, there’s been a serious drought of stoner comedies. While “Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay” has its moments, it lacks a certain charm that the first film captured so well within the pot-smoking realm.

The movie introduces the dynamic duo right where the last film left off. Harold and Kumar are getting ready to head on over to Amsterdam to chase after Harold’s dream girl, Maria. One thing leads to another and before the viewer knows it, the two are caught up in a world of government rhetoric and improbable situations.

While “Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay” certainly has a wonderful sense of humor, it lacks greatly within the narrative. What made the first film work so well was the ability to tell a story that, while absurd, was still believable. However, this time around, the movie appears to lose its momentum through cheap cop-outs and reused material.

Throughout the movie, the viewer is exposed to a simple game of cat and mouse. Harold and Kumar elude the authorities while sightseeing through the South. The concept behind the movie appears to be flawless enough, and yet a director attempting to bring this to fruition would only lead to heartbreak.

Instead of a non-stop road-trip of hilarity, the viewer is left with a bland stereotypical bus ride of the southern states and an insulting representation of Americans in today’s society.

The performances are as wonderful as the original, including Neil Patrick Harris. Yet without a story to back it up the movie feels like a monumental letdown, considering how brilliant “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” was.

The time it took for this sequel to be filmed led me to believe that the script was good enough for the audience to appreciate it. Instead, we are left feeling cheated out of a truly brilliant second installment of “crazy shit that happens when you’re high.”

Had the movie actually been “Harold and Kumar Go to Amsterdam,” it would have felt like the two had accomplished something. While this sequel takes place the day after the first movie took place, the creativity became stagnant along the way.

“Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay” could have been what “Eurotrip” was supposed to be; instead we’re left with a second rate “Roadtrip.”

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