Ryan McNeil
Yeah – I saw it.
After their friend Lou (Rob Corddry) nearly kills himself, his friends Nick (Craig Robinson) and Adam (John Cusdack) decide to take him back to the scene of some of their wildest teenage times, Kodiak Valley. Just for kicks, Adam’s nephew Jacob (Clark Duke) comes along. When they arrive in their run-down inn, and get to their suite – they decide a dip in the hot tub would make for a great start to a guys’ weekend.
The next morning, after seemingly much debauchery, they wake up to discover that they are back in 1986. They see each other as adults, everyone else sees the 1986 versions of them.
You didn’t really think I was going to waste any more words on the plot of this film, did you? You’re lucky this part of my review didn’t say “For plot summary, read film title”
Go figure – I can write endless posts about the existentialism of THE LAST STATION, or the mis-firing meta of NINE…but when it comes to something as lowbrow as HOT TUB TIME MACHINE, I don’t know where to begin. I can say that it just missed my low expectations. That’s not to say that I was bored; I wasn’t. That’s also not to say that I didn’y laugh out loud more than a few times; I did, but that doesn’t take much. And truthfully, as a wink at comedies of the 1980’s, the movie works.
But when I think about it in comparison to many of the other comedies we’ve been given in recent years, I find that it doesn’t measure up. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good cocksucking joke as much as the next guy, matter of fact i think the problem with the movie was that they didn’t go far enough down the shock value path.
The film starts us out with some pitch black humour, and mixes it nicely with some 80’s movies touchstones…but rather than build on those principles, it becomes an ugly cousin to BACK TO THE FUTURE. Speaking of everyone’s favorite film about a time-travelling DeLorean, I must readily admit that the running joke involving Crispin Glover (George McFly if you must know) did have me laughing every time it came up.
Of all the four leads, Rob Corddry seems to having the most fun, but it’s hard not to have fun when you’re essentially playing an unwitting douche.Right behind him is Craig Robinson, who gets to self-loathingly say the film’s title out loud. Robinson, has a delivery that lands somewhere between deadpan and badass. Unfortunately, John Cusack sticks out, since he doesn’t really seem to know what he’s doing in this movie (lose a lot of money in the market crash John?).
It’s entirely possible that I’m being a bit hard on this movie. After all, with a name like HOT TUB TIME MACHINE, how existential a comedy should I have expected? In the interest of fairness, let me leave it at this – the movie is good for a laugh or two, but instantly forgettable.
I've always been oddly picky when it comes to comedies, and so only a few really work for me. This one looks, eh. Since I didn't care for The Hangover last year, my interest in ever watching this one is flailing. I do enjoy time travel movies, so maybe there's that. With you 2 stars I'll put this in the maybe rental pile :).
I didn't enjoy The Hangover either. Good to know I'm not the only one!
This movie will stur a revolution–forget ideas, say the future studio execs, just get…oh. They've already been doing that for five years? Fine. Let's just give it a summary for a title!
I don't know what that was either.
Saw Greenberg instead the tv spots for this pissed me off.
Nice! I had the exact same reaction – I laughed but I felt bad about it. I thought it was TOO lowbrow though – and pushed it past where I was comfortable. I was hoping for a "smart" dumb – kind of like The Hangover. My review goes up tomorrow – I didn't bother with a summary – much like you were tempted to do.
@ Univarn… Yeah, had I rented this and not dropped for full pop on a pair of tickets, I might have found it more worthwhile.
@ HJP… I actually liked THE HANGOVER. The notion of trying to piece together the night before gave it a better motivation that HTTM.
@ Simon… You'd have thought we would have learned our lesson after SNAKES ON A PLANE.
@ Fitz… Greenberg doesn't look like it would do a whole lot more for me. If it weren't for the potential I see in KICK-ASS and THE LOSERS, I'd probably be circulating a petition to close movie theatres this April due to crappy content.
@ CBlaze… Given the tomfoolery these twerps get into, I should have been dyin'. Instead, I was mostly just smirking. Not a good sign for a comedy, especially how easy it is to get me laughin.
Can't wait to read your review!
Wow! The things you will do for your medium ~ I can't believe you went to see this.
I love John Cusack but I think I'd rather try sitting through "Max" again than watch this movie.
You are a braver soul than I.
I hated The Hangover, so if this doesn't sink to that level of crude and assinine, I will probably like it! lol
– Suzie McDoesn'tGetIt
Dont know why Im looking forward to this one so much, I think its just the crazy title or the cast…or the idea behind the movie.
@ Danger… Believe it or not, this one wasn't done "for my medium". I honestly thought it was going to be good stupid fun.
One out of three ain't bad.
@ Susie… Apologies for skirting our plans to see this, it was sort of a last minute thing.
I'm not sure if it is so simple as to say "If you didn't like THE HANGOVER, this might be more your speed". Might be worth a gamble, but if you don't like it, don't say I didn't warn you.
@ TFC… I know that feeling…it seeped into my brain out of nowehere about ten days ago. I'll be interested to see if it lives up to your hopes for it.
I'm hearing really good things about this, but I've turned into a very difficult critic of comedies, not because they aren't funny, but as you said are instantly forgettable. I think I still like the awful and terrible "Dude, Where's My Car", because yes it was funny, but it was so stupidly out there funny that I simply never forgot about it.
The only real worthwhile comedies of the last decade have been:
40 Year Old Virgin
Zack and Miri Make A Porno
and
Grandma's Boy
Otherwise I just haven't been wowed.
Wow, I can't believe they pulled a Quantum Leap-esque setup.
Truth be told, regardless of it's lasting effects on my memory, I am really looking forwad to see this for the sheer delight I take in watching John Cusack be his charming self. Super crush, there. A mindless comedy is just what I need sometimes.. thanks for the review! Glad to see it's out there and taking the temperature of people's reaction to low-brow comedy.
@ Heather… Comedy is such a tough thing to judge though, isn't it? I mean what makes people laugh is so freakin' subjective. One of the comedies I've loathed the most in recent years was STEP-BROTHERS, but wouldn't you know it – I watched it in a packed theatre that was laughing like mad.
@ Megan… They sure did. All that was missing was a Scott Bakula cameo.
@ Celtic… I'm usually a pretty big Cusack fan (so much so that it used to be a running joke around the office), but I'm surprised how out of place he felt in this movie. maybe he just needed to get the taste of 2012 out of his mouth and this seemed like a good way to do it.