Hot Tub Time Machine

Do you know what it’s like to sit in a hot tub and you are warm, relaxed and comfortable? Then you start looking around and you see a wad of hair, or a band-aid floating in the tub with you and you think, ew, gross. You get out, but it’s too cold, so you get back in and try to splash the band-aid out. Then you gross yourself out again and sit on the edge with your torso out and your feet in trying to make up your mind. You’re trying to decide if the warm comforting feeling is enough to put up with the gross, disgusting feeling you get sitting around amongst the filth. And then you finally say, screw it, and you get out and take a shower. That’s how I felt watching Hot Tub Time Machine.

On the plus side, you have John Cusack (2012), some fun ’80’s cameos, and a great title. On the minus side, you have lazy ’80’s references, cheesy special effects, and a weird appearance by Chevy Chase. But in my opinion, the best thing about this film is Rob Corddry (The Daily Show). He is the catalyst for the film. His “accidental” suicide attempt brings three best friends together, with a stray nephew, to a ski lodge where they spent their glory days back in high school. While sitting in the hot tub, an energy drink spills, which short circuits the controls and sends the four of them back in time. They are divided on whether to change their lives by changing history, or by keeping everything the same to prevent a Butterfly Effect. This lodge and this weekend was a pivotal time in their lives. This is also the weekend that nephew Jacob, Clark Duke (Sex Drive) was conceived. If they make a mistake, he’ll never be born.

Craig Robinson (Pineapple Express) is the third friend in this group and his problem is that he’s the only one who is happily married. He’s afraid that if they decide to recreate their weekend exactly as it was, that would mean cheating on his wife. Back in the ’80’s, his wife was only nine. John Cusack’s Adam has a different problem. His slutty sister is there in the ’80’s and that is the weekend she gets knocked up. They don’t know who Adam’s father is so they don’t know what to do. On the other hand, he has his own girlfriend problems.

Rob Corddry has such a maniac energy that he draws your focus whenever he is in the room. He’s kind of like that guy who keeps everyone else pumped up. There are some funny bits in this film. I especially liked the running gag involving Crispin Glover (Back To The Future). He is missing an arm in the present and the guys keep watching him in the ’80’s to see how it happened. They really want to see it occur and we are given plenty of near misses.

Hot Tub Time Machine is a funny film, but I think it will be more appealing to the guys. There are some scenes I found a bit offensive. If it was better written I might be a little more forgiving, but since they consistently went for the lowest common denominator, I lost patience with the film. Teasing someone’s hair, giving them leg warmers, and playing ‘80’s music is the cheap route. A little more thought and this could have been an excellent film. I’ll take my hot tub with a little less filth.

Rating: Second Run Cheap laughs in this low budget film