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How High 2001 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Jesse Dylan
R, 93 min. (pervasive drug use, profanity, sexual dialogue) |
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Starring: Method Man, Redman, Lark Voorhies, Obba Babatundé, Fred Willard, Al Shearer, Justin Urich, Trieu Tran
Producers: Danny DeVito, James Ellis
Screenplay: Dustin Abraham, Brad Kaaya
Cinematography: Francis Kenny
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Released: 12.21.01 (Wide) |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
About ten minutes into How High, an appalling motion picture that should be ashamed of itself for being released during
Christmas week, I began to wonder how producers Danny DeVito and James Ellis could possibly have thought that this
particular portrayal of African-American young men is either funny or accurate to real life in any way. So, let's get this
straight. A pair of college black men, who feel the only way they can even get into college is to smoke the ash remains
of their best friend, thereby empowering them to ace their entrance exam, choose to attend Harvard and more or less
reak havoc on all those who stray across their path? Does anyone actually think that a film such as this is funny or worth
an hour-and-a-half of their precious time? Obviously, Universal Pictures thinks so. This is truly a sad commentary on
the mindset of not only studio executives, but also the movie-goers who propogate such inane rubbish. Honestly, I'm
appalled at the lack of imagination or creativity involved with this insulting film.
Two pot-smoking pals, Silas (Method Man) and Jamal (Redman), after watching their friend catch fire, fall out a window, and
get run over by a bus, decide to use his remains as fertilizer for their elaborate pot-growing operation (great). As
a result, when smoked, they see Ivory appear as a ghost, full of all-knowing answers to anything they are curious about.
They use his help to pass their college entrance exams (why they are worried about college I'm not sure) and quickly
enroll in Harvard after a pitch from a recruitier who sees their incredible test scores. Predictably, once on campus,
Silas and Jamal embark upon "showing" the co-eds how to have a good time while taunting professors, using profane
language, and embarassing the social elite.
I guess I could understand how some people will be attracted to this film, especially the heavy drug users out there, but
even being high on illegal substances can't hide the gross incompetence on display here. Surprisingly, however,
the performances of Method Man and Redman are believable and right-on for that kind of role. But that's about the only
slight positive for a film filled with miserable and excruciating scenes worthy of nothing more than a quick toss in the closest
trash can. How High is a shockingly inept and interminable film, poorly written and sloppily directed. It's namesake
is about the only way one could fully enjoy such an intelligence-impaired motion picture.
© 2001 Jonathan Cornwell
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 |
 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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