Kal Penn
- 2009
- 2008
- R
- AddHarold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bayto QueueAddHarold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bayto top of Queue
After successfully seeking out the ultimate slider in the 2004 stoner comedy Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, the cannabis-craving twosome returns in this high-flying sequel that finds them labeled terrorists for attempting to sneak a marijuana-smoking implement on a flight to Amsterdam. Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) have just finished gorging themselves on savory White Castle hamburgers when they return to their apartment and hatch a plan for Harold to win the heart of his crush, Maria (Paula Garcés). Maria is going to Amsterdam, and if Harold can catch up with her overseas perhaps he can strike up a real love connection. After a close call with airport personnel and a chance encounter with Kumar's ex-girlfriend Vanessa (Danneel Harris) -- who hadn't yet told Kumar that she's engaged to be married -- the pot-loving pals finally board their flight for Amsterdam. Unfortunately for Harold, Kumar isn't able to endure the lengthy flight without an innocent puff or two from his smokeless bong. When the plane hits some turbulence and the bong is mistaken for a bomb, the flight is diverted to Guantanamo Bay and our spliff-smoking heroes are detained by overzealous Deputy Chief of Homeland Security Ron Fox (Rob Corddry). Now, if they can just escape from the world's most notorious prison compound, perhaps this hapless duo can succeed in convincing the authorities that they aren't enemy combatants, and that Kumar made the mistake of his life by letting Vanessa go. But before they can prove their innocence and get the girls, Harold and Kumar will have to outsmart the dreaded Ku Klux Klan, contend with a particularly precocious Cyclops baby, and successfully elude everyone's favorite debauched former child star -- Neil Patrick Harris. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2007
The sixth season opens with the country reeling after several terrorist attacks. The late David Palmer's brother Wayne is now the President of the US. Meanwhile, Jack is released by his Chinese captors a shell of his former self. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 2007
Tensions rise between Morris and Milo, putting Chloe in the middle. Meanwhile, Jack deals with a volatile Curtis. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 2007
While Jack attempts to quell tension between Assad and Curtis, Ahmed forces an innocent man to become an accomplice. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 2007
After escaping the clutches of Fayed, Jack teams with an unlikely ally to track down the terrorist before he attacks again. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
Scary Movie screenwriters Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer join forces to parody the "biggest" movies ever to hit the silver screen in this comedy that gives such popular box-office hits as Pirates of the Caribbean and Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe the same treatment that Scary Movie gave to the slasher subgenre. A virtual smorgasbord of spoof, Epic Movie tells the tale of four fully grown orphans: one the victim of snakes that attacked her plane, another raised by a kindly Louvre curator, the third a Mexican "libre" wrestling refuge, and the last an average mutant from an "X"-community. When the curious quartet visits a sprawling chocolate factory, they stumble across a magical wardrobe which transports them to the enchanted land of Gnarnia. It seems that the wondrous fantasy land has recently fallen under the spell of the evil White Bitch (Jennifer Coolidge), and in order to bring peace back to Gnarnia these four bumbling mortals will have to join forces with a charismatic pirate, a painfully sincere group of aspiring wizards, and one particularly libidinous lion. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kal Penn, Adam Campbell, (more)
- 2007
Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj collaborators Mort Nathan and Kal Penn team up once again for this comedic tale of two office workers who transform their once-stuffy workplace into the most happening hot-spot in town after sending their uptight boss on a sordid sex cruise. When business takes a turn for the better and unprecedented profits begin to roll in, the raucous duo quickly learns that you don't necessarily need to kiss up to the boss to get ahead in corporate America. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kal Penn, Mort Nathan, (more)
A couple coming to terms with living in a new culture discover their troubles are compounded by their son in this drama from filmmaker Mira Nair. Ashoke (Irfan Khan) and Ashima (Tabu) are a young couple who are brought together in an arranged marriage and soon leave Calcutta to seek their fortune in America. As the couple becomes accustomed to one another, they learn to deal with the coolness and superficiality of life in New York, even as they revel in the opportunities the city offers them. Before long, Ashima gives birth to a baby boy, and pressed to choose a name, they dub the infant Nikhil, though he soon picks up the nickname Gogol, after Ashoke's favorite author. By the time the child is old enough to attend school, he insists upon being called Gogol at all times, and he displays little interest in his Indian heritage. Several years on, Gogol has decided he wants to be called Nick (and is now played by Kal Penn) and has become a thoroughly Americanized teenager, openly rebelling against his parents, smoking marijuana in his room, and dating Maxine (Jacinda Barrett), a preppy blonde from a wealthy family. Ashoke and Ashima are uncertain about how to deal with their son's attempts to cut himself off from their culture, but Nick begins expressing some uncertainty himself when he meets Moushumi (Zuleikha Robinson), a beautiful girl who also comes from a family of Indian expatriates. The Namesake was adapted from the bestselling novel by Jhumpa Lahiri. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 2006
- R
- AddNational Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Tajto QueueAddNational Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Tajto top of Queue
The protégé of the most skilled mischief maker in college history sets his sights on England's prestigious Camden University to offer an informative course in advanced-level shenanigans in this sequel to the 2002 Ryan Reynolds hit that finds that film's co-star Kal Penn crossing the pond to realize his true party potential. Van Wilder's former assistant has learned the ways of the master, and now he's prepared to share his newfound knowledge with the stuffy students of the school known more for academia than rowdy mischief. Of course, by now Taj (Penn) knows that where there's a will there's a way, and there are plenty of fun-loving misfits at this esteemed institute of higher learning who are just looking for an excuse to ditch their studies and blow off a little steam by embracing their inner Van Wilder. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kal Penn, Lauren Cohan, (more)
Two young Texans locked in a pre-arranged marriage do their best to convince their parents to call the impending nuptials off in a romantic comedy directed by Shiraz Jafri and featuring Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle star Kal Penn. Ameet (Sunil Malhotra) and Saima (Lisa Ray) were more than happy apart when their marriage-minded parents insisted that they spend the rest of their lives together. Now, with their engagement cemented and the wedding frenzy kicking into overdrive, Ameet, Saima, and Ameet's best friend Bobby (Penn) must break every rule in the book to prove that their marriage will only spell misery for all involved. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sunil Malhotra, Lisa Ray, (more)
The Man of Steel returns to the big screen with this continuation of the icon's film legacy that picks up after the events of the first two Christopher Reeve films. Some time has passed since the events of Superman II and the world has gotten used to life without Superman (Brandon Routh) ever since his puzzling disappearance years earlier. Upon his return, he finds a Metropolis that doesn't need him anymore, while Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) has moved on with another young suitor Richard White (James Marsden) in the meantime. As the hero begins to tackle the fact that life on Earth has continued without him, he is forced to face his old arch-nemesis Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) and restore the life that was once his. Directed by Bryan Singer from a script by the writing team of X-Men 2, Superman Returns marks a return to the screen for the man in tights, whose production history has seen many failed attempts including a famous near-miss from Tim Burton and Kevin Smith with Nicolas Cage in the lead role, along with another from director McG and writer J.J. Abrams (Lost). Singer eventually won the prestigious gig when he pitched the idea to not tackle the origin story again, but continue with director Richard Donner's original vision. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, (more)
- 2005
- PG13
- AddSueñoto QueueAddSueñoto top of Queue
An aspiring musician looking to break big finds the singer who may finally be able to make his dreams come true in director Renee Chabria's musical drama starring John Leguizamo and Elizabeth Peña. There's nothing that Antonio (Leguizamo) wants more out of life than to be standing on the stage with the spotlight shining down on him. Soon after purchasing a bus ticket to Los Angeles and leaving his Mexican border town behind, Antonio falls for aspiring young doctor Nina (Ana Claudia Talancon). When Antonio discovers that his new neighbor Mirabella is a gifted former singer who has fallen on hard times, he convinces the struggling single mother to put her faith in her abilities and prepare for the upcoming talent contest that may just lead the pair to a future full of prosperity and creative freedom. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Leguizamo, Ana Claudia Talancón, (more)
Some folks say that "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," and for five pals on a trip to Sin City to give their best friend one last taste of the wild life before settling down, they better hope that the old adage holds true. Anything can happen in Las Vegas on any given day; give a group of wild young men an entire weekend, and the possibilities are overwhelming. Bachelor Party, Vegas stars Kal Penn (Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle), Vincent Pastore (The Sopranos), Jaime Pressly (My Name Is Earl), and Donald Faison (Scrubs). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Erick Avari, Mimi Rogers, Louise Fletcher, and Kal Penn star in director Bob Roe's heartfelt tale of devastating loss, unfading love, and the courage that it takes to carry on despite being consumed by grief. The living embodiment of the American Dream, Indian immigrant Madhav Singh (Avari) was a successful businessman, loving father, and happily married husband until a sudden tragedy claimed the life of his beloved wife Jaishree. These days the shattered widower wanders through a series of meaningless routines by day, and spends sleepless nights attempting to ward off the mournful nightmares that lie just on the other side of consciousness. When Madhav's son Samir (Penn) and his girlfriend Nicole (Sheetal Sheth) arrive in town for the weekend to celebrate the engagement of a close friend, the shattered father is surprised to find himself becoming reacquainted with his old friend April (Rogers). April always had a special place in her heart for Madhav despite the vocal objections of her mother (Fletcher), and now it feels like the connection between the longtime friends has grown stronger than ever before. But Madhav isn't quite sure he's ready to let go of the past just yet, a fact that becomes painfully obvious as the difficulty of balancing his grief with his will to carry on starts to take a heavy emotional toll as he is faced with one of the most important decisions of his entire life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Erick Avari, Kal Penn, (more)
An unscrupulous Hollywood agent seeks to balance the success of his professional status with the abysmal reality of his personal life in director Miek Binder's existential comedy drama. When it comes to playing the Hollywood game, no one does it better than Jack Giamoro (Ben Affleck). Yet despite having a high-powered job, money to spare, and a beautiful wife, Jack slowly begins to suspect that something is missing from his glitz and glamour life. After enrolling in a journal-writing class in hopes of gaining a deeper understanding of his feelings, the man who has it all is shocked to learn that his wife Nina (Rebecca Romijn) has entered into a heated affair with his biggest client. Though at first Jack takes solace in the fact that he is able to express his inner pain through his writing, his entire future is brought into question when ambitious journalist Barbi (Bai Ling) steals his diary in hopes of landing the year's biggest scoop. Not only does the diary contain sensitive personal information, but crucial information about his high-profile clients as well. Now, as Jack fights against insurmountable odds just to hold his life together, the man who once placed priority on power and material possessions realizes that the only path to true happiness is by spending precious time with family. John Cleese, Kal Penn, Jerry O'Connell, and Adam Goldberg star in a soul-searching comedy that explores the relationship between career success and personal fulfillment. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Affleck, Rebecca Romijn, (more)
The strange mask that gave Jim Carrey remarkable powers in the 1994 hit The Mask makes a mess of a seemingly ordinary family in this special effects-laden comic fantasy. Tim Avery (Jamie Kennedy) is a cartoonist living quietly in suburbia with his wife Tonya (Traylor Howard), their baby son Alvey (Ryan Falconer), and dog Otis; however, their lives are turned upside down when Otis discovers a strange green mask which channels the spirit of Loki (Alan Cumming), the Norse god of mischief. Both Otis and Alvey get their hands (or paws) on the mask, and soon both are shape shifting and making all manner of trouble while having a great time doing it. Unfortunately, this isn't the end of Tim and Tonya's troubles -- it seems the supreme Norse god Odin (Bob Hoskins) has given Loki the assignment of recovering the mask, and Loki will do whatever he must to get the mask back from Alvey and Otis. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jamie Kennedy, Alan Cumming, (more)
Two friends who've convinced themselves they would never make a good couple discover they might just be wrong in this romantic comedy. Oliver (Ashton Kutcher) and Emily (Amanda Peet) first met when they were college students sharing a flight from California to New York; Emily spontaneously seduced Oliver on the plane, and they spent the next few days together in the city. When they parted, however, Emily decided not to pursue a relationship with Oliver, even though he was obviously interested. Over the next several years, circumstances kept putting them in one another's paths, and over the years Oliver and Emily became close friends and confidantes. Both are still certain, though, that they're entirely wrong for each other on a romantic level. However, after nearly a decade, with both Oliver and Emily edging into their thirties, they begin to wonder if they've allowed a great opportunity to pass them by. A Lot Like Love also stars Kathryn Hahn, Ali Larter, and Kal Penn. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ashton Kutcher, Amanda Peet, (more)
- 2004
- R
- AddHarold and Kumar Go to White Castleto QueueAddHarold and Kumar Go to White Castleto top of Queue
Directed by Danny Leiner, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle follows the life-changing (and mind-altering) journey of Korean-American investment banker Harold (John Cho) and Indian-American medical-school candidate Kumar (Kal Penn). Both underdogs, Harold and Kumar decide to spend what would have been an otherwise uneventful Friday night satisfying an oddly intense urge for White Castle hamburgers. However, finding a White Castle proves a highly difficult task, and the two friends wind up on an epic road trip of deep thoughts, deeper inhaling, and enough half-baked, politically incorrect philosophizing to outweigh a White Castle value meal. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
The NBC made-for-TV movie Homeland Security endeavors to put a human face on the events leading up to 9/11, and the post-tragedy formation of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. On the verge of retirement, FBI agent Joe Johnson (Scott Glenn) is brought back to help organize the department, in concert with Admiral McKee (Tom Skerritt). Also on the ground floor of the department is feisty female CIA operative "Jungle Jane" Fulbar (Marisol Nichols) who has enjoyed (if that is the word) a long-standing friendly rivalry with the FBI. The "conscience" character hereabouts is security expert Sol Binder (Leland Orser), who blames the failure to "connect the dots" in the months prior to 9/11 on the lack of cooperation between the two major governmental peacekeeping agencies. Adding a dash of suspense to the otherwise predictable proceedings is the presence of McKee's daughter Melissa (Stephi Lineburg), who, along with her Arab boyfriend, is booked on the ill-fated Flight 29. Likewise enlivening things a bit is the lively-if-traditional villainy of all-purpose terrorist Saif Khan (Nicholas Guilak). The uneven, sometimes incoherent story structure can be attributed to the fact that Homeland Security was the heavily re-edited combination of two pilot episodes for a never-sold TV series. The "finished" product originally aired on April 11, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Glenn, Tom Skerritt, (more)
A rich kid who likes to pretend he's from the wrong side of the tracks gets a taste of the real thing in this comedy. Brad Gluckman (Jamie Kennedy) is the son of a wealthy and socially prominent couple (Ryan O'Neal and Bo Derek) and grew up in the lap of luxury in Malibu, CA. However, Brad likes to imagine he's a street-smart gangsta from the mean streets of L.A., and he's been trying to launch a career as a hardcore rapper under the name "B-Rad." Mr. Gluckman is running for Governor of California, and both he and his campaign manager (Blair Underwood) are convinced Brad's antics could have a negative impact on the election, so they come up with a scheme to change his mind about the supposed glamour of street life. Mr. Gluckman hires a pair of African-American actors (Taye Diggs and Anthony Anderson) to impersonate a pair of gang-bangers from Compton who carjack Brad's SUV and take him to the 'hood, where he'll learn just how scary the thug life can be. However, it soon becomes obvious the actors don't know much more about life in Compton than Brad does, and as Brad gets used to his new surroundings, he falls for a girl from the neighborhood (Regina Hall) who has her own plans for moving up in the world. Malibu's Most Wanted was inspired by a character Jamie Kennedy created for his sketch comedy series The Jamie Kennedy Experiment. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jamie Kennedy, Taye Diggs, (more)
The sophomore outing for writer/director/actress Troy Beyer, Love Don't Cost a Thing is a romantic teen comedy based on the screenplay for the 1987 Partick Dempsey film Can't Buy Me Love. Nick Cannon stars as Alvin, a brilliant but awkward teenager -- and budding engineer -- who seizes a golden opportunity when popular cheerleader Paris (Christina Milian) wrecks her parents' SUV and is strapped for cash. They strike an agreement: Alvin will do the repairs for free if Paris pretend to be his girlfriend for two weeks, all in the hopes of elevating his social standing. Little does he know, being popular isn't all its cracked up to be. Kal Penn and Steve Harvey co-star. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nick Cannon, Christina Milian, (more)
Before leaving India for college in Houston, Hari (Sunil Malhotra) consults an astrologer, who tells him that he'll meet the woman of his dreams there, that her name will begin with a "P," and that she'll fall from the sky. Hari moves in with friends of the family, the Bakshis, and meets Mo (Kal Penn of American Desi), their slacker son. Mo is a fully assimilated ABCD (American Born Confused Desi), and while he's proud to be Indian, he's ashamed of his socially inept FOB (Fresh Off the Boat) "cousin," who wears clashing outfits, puts coconut oil in his hair, and speaks with a heavy accent. At school, Hari meets Priya (Tina Cherian), a ditzy beauty who literally falls into his lap. Hari is quickly convinced that Priya is the girl the astrologer told him about, and he offers to tutor her in math. Mo is smitten with Janvi (Serena Varghese), a student filmmaker. She's making a video about what it means to be South Asian in America, and Mo invites her to one of the "Desi Fever" parties he promotes. The evening turns into a disaster when Janvi films Ray (Prem Shah), the radio personality who runs the party, rudely kicking out an FOB, Sham (co-screenwriter Sunil Thakkar), and Ray smashes her tape. While Hari is determined to help Mo win back Janvi, Mo won't even tell Hari about the next exclusive party he's promoting, which Priya is sure to attend. Where's the Party, Yaar? was based partly on Thakkar's experiences as a DJ and party promoter in Houston. The film was helmed by music video director Benny Mathews and features the music of Panjabi MC and Cornershop. It was shown at the 2003 Rhode Island International Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kal Penn, Sunil Malhotra, (more)
