While Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle is the definitive great stoner film-High School is a very close second. High School is perfect in almost every way. It is funny, features likable characters as well as an awesome villain and even has a message as all great stoner films should. The film follows Henry Burke (Matt Bush)-a senior in high school who has a scholarship to MIT when his old buddy, Travis (Sean Marquette) gets him high. It is then that Dr. Leslie Gordon, the evil principal of the school announces a random drug test that could very likely ruin Henry's future. I choose to not tell you who plays Leslie because it is more fun if you figure out on your own who that is.
The main thing I love about this film is that just like Harold and Kumar....Henry and Travis are smart stoners. They are not stupid people who are to blame for what they have gotten into. They are smart guys who just happen to have screwed up. We need more comedies revolving around smart characters. Adrien Brody also has a very funny role as Psycho Ed...a fellow druggie with whom Henry and Travis steal drugs from. Also...Colin Hanks has a small role as the vice principal of the school and seeing him high is pretty damn funny as well.
Leslie is the perfect bad guy in the way that he is a disgusting, desperate man. We do not root for him but we see why he is such an evil character. Also.....the drug scenes are surprisingly well done. They are not stupid. They are well directed, funny and weird (in a good way, of course.) The movie never softens its raunchy humor or dulls down.
In the end-High School is a fast paced romp that I even wished was a little longer. With that being said...it does have the perfect ending. Unfortunately, High School has a very generic title and a seemingly cliche plot. Do not let this stop you from enjoying it, however. This is a fantastic stoner comedy that is original in its own way and deserves plenty of respect for what it does.
(4 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for pervasive drugs and language, crude and sexual content, and some nudity-all involving teens)
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