Actually, all the posters piece together to make that iconic Star Trek symbol thing…

Here’s the first one they revealed…(and P.S. Zoe Saldana is FIRE!)

And here’s the new one…

For the record, I admire his work, but I am in no way an obsessive fan. I just want to be best friends with him. Forever.

Okay. That was a total joke.

It just so happens that he has been, in one way or another, a part of all these things I have been writing about: West 32nd, Wondercon, Harold and Kumar, Star Trek etc…etc…

So please don’t mistake me for a deranged fan. I think I need to go back to hunting Joseph Cross and Emile Hirsch on the streets of SF. Or maybe I need a new female prey.

Wow. I am sounding really psycho. I am going to stop talking.

Neil Patrick Harris, (from left) Kal Penn and John Cho reprise their roles in this Harold and Kumar follow-up

Three words: An emo Harold. Three more words: Neil Patrick Harris. Three more words: Explosive bowel movements. Three more words: Enjoyably unnecessary vulgarities. Two more words: Glowing unicorns. I could do this all day.

Most of that will make sense when you see Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. I was lucky enough to see one of the preliminary screenings at SFIAAFF – and I am glad I made that trek to Japantown’s Kabuki Cinemas.

The plot: Yes, it does have a plot and it is very epic. It’s revolutionary. It’s mind-blowing. Okay, not really – but it does go deeper than hunting for White Castle burgers. The movie picks up where the last one left off. Harold (Cho) and Kumar (Penn) plan a trip to Amsterdam in order to find Harold’s hottie, Maria (Paula Garcés). At the airport, they run into Kumar’s ex, Vanessa (Danneel Harris) who he obviously still has feelings for. They find out that she’s engaged to an “Abercrombie and Fitch douche bag,” Colton (Eric Winter) – but enough of all that. While they are en route to Amsterdam, the stoner duo run into some problems and they end up locked up in Guantanamo Bay and, as the title of the movie suggests, they escape. Stoner/vulgar hilarity ensues.

What I liked: Despite all the slapstick and grotesque humor, the movie is a great social commentary on racial stereotypes. Sure, some people might take offense, but in a bizarre way, it’s smart. Once they tell a joke, you’ll laugh, and then you’ll think marinate on it – this excludes the more gratuitous humor. There’s a lot of it and I won’t mention the girth of it. You’ll just have to see for yourself. Also, I like how the dynamic between Kumar and his ex. It shows that behind his slacker/pot smoking exterior, he does have a heart of gold – and Danneel Harris is gorgeous. Oh yes there is one more thing. I know I said it before, but I urge you, please keep your eye out for the emo Harold. It will make your day.

What I didn’t like: This movie isn’t supposed to do anything more than make you laugh – and that’s what I did. But then there was this (spoiler alert) President Bush impersonator. That made me lose my giggling buzz. It was like a sore thumb. I appreciate the fact that they wanted to throw in a dash of political commentary, but I am not a fan of impersonators in movies. Let me put it this way, I enjoyed the unicorn and brothel more.

My rating: I give it a “B” for great male bonding, hilarity and most of all, the unicorn.

John Cho (2nd from left) and Jun Sung Kim (3rd from left) in West 32nd

There’s murder! There’s mystery! There’s lawyers! There’s betrayal! All of this and more encompass the noir-esque indie drama, West 32nd – but don’t be fooled by the exclamation points, the movie is quiet with moral despair and yes, it will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

John Kim (John Cho) is a young ambitious lawyer climbing his way to the top of his firm by taking on a pro bono case that involves Lila (Grace Park of Battlestar Gallactica fame) and her little brother.

Grace Park in West 32nd

The case eventually leads Kim to the Korean underground crime world of Manhattan, with the tough-as-nails, gritty Asian wannabe Godfather, Mike (Jun Sung Kim) holding the reigns.

As Kim gets deeper and deeper into this world of corruption, he eventually learns how to play the game himself and at the same time, gets reacquainted with his culture in an unconventional way.

Director Michael Kang picks up where Better Luck Tomorrow left off. He smudges the stereotypically clean image of Asian America and does it with finesse. Through visually stimulating shades of deceit, Kang, along with screenplay co-writer, Edmund Lee gives us a story that is smart and edgy (that word is so overused).

I can relate to Cho’s character; being disconnected to your culture in way that makes you feel uncomfortable when you are neck deep in it – now just imagine if there’s murder involved.

What I liked: Sure, the Asian American element is alive and well, but in this film, it’s more of a secondary character. The movie is an excellent murder mystery. This is how it should be. No Hello Kitty. No martial arts. Just pure unadulterated murder, mystery, twists, turns, gun fights, alcohol, cringe-worthy jerks, tragedy and all that other fun stuff.

The characters: Cho shows us that he is more than Harold from the Harold and Kumar franchise. He shows versatility and is carving a place in Asian American history as an esteemed actor of our generation (did I mention he’s going to be Sulu in the upcoming “Star Trek” movie?). Park goes for the gusto with her portrayal of the sweet girl next door with emotional nicks and scratches that play a big role in the choices she makes – whether they are moral or not. Then there’s Jun Kim – he plays a great asshole. I was intimidated by his character, but at the same time I wanted to bash his head in. If he made me think such violent thoughts, he must be doing something right.

What I didn’t like: Honestly, I don’t know. I liked the film – and I am just not saying that because of the Asian American bias. It’s just a good movie. It’s a noir-ish mystery for the 21st century. If there is something I have to complain about – I have to say that…ummmm…I don’t know. Oh wait – I don’t like blood. There’s some blood in this. And what’s the deal with that human trafficking stuff? That stuff freaks me out. I also didn’t like Cho’s hair. It was like a Ken coif that has been saturated with mousse. Oh yeah – I would’ve loved to see more of Jane Kim. She mesmerizes me.

Kim as the beautifully damaged Suki Kim, one of the pieces of the murder-mystery puzzle

My rating: A: it’s not an A+ because of the aforementioned dislikes

Wasn’t that really braggy of me?

Anyways, Cho was sporting some sort of ace bandage or cast on his right arm and he admitted to the audience that he got an injury on the set of Star Trek.

For some reason, this really excited me – not in an arousing sort of way, but in a J.J. Abrams sort of way. I am not even a Trekkie, but the fact that Cho is making SO many strides in the industry makes me smile and gives me hope as the future first ever Filipino American to win the Academy Award for “Best Original Screenplay.”