Goodness knows I love a good time travel movie more than the average person. Time travel is in my top ten list of uncategorized Totally Awesome Things. But truth be told, I didn't have high hopes for this movie based on the trailer. My husband had been pumped for weeks, but I was going into the theater with pretty low expectations. Maybe because of that, I had a great time with Hot Tub Time Machine.
Much like 2006's Snakes on a Plane, the title pretty much sums up the plot. Adam (John Cussack), his friend Nick (Craig Robinson), and his nephew take their mutual loveable asshole friend Lou (Daily Show's Rob Corddry) to the ski lodge where they ruled as teenagers after Lou's questionable suicide attempt. The ski lodge has went downhill since the guys last stayed there, and they're ready to call the weekend a waste when they get drunk in a magical hot tub that transports them to the 80s.
It's the little details that make this movie great. All the 80s place-settings, from the fashion to the Rambo-obsessed too-Aryan-for-comfort ski patrol jerk, were spot-on. The minor characters were great, too. Crispin Glover rocked as the soon-to-be one-armed bell hop, and Chevy Chase was perfect for the hot tub repairman celestial guide.
Some of the humor I don't dig that made me worry about the movie initially were there, but the frat boy jokes, gross out sight gags, and icky sex humor (not to be confused with "funny sex humor", which is something I can go for) were sparse enough for me to give the movie a pass. Most of the movie's humor was goofy, lighthearted fun, like Nick pulling a Marty McFly with his old band that was even better than Back to the Future's. And honestly? Even the type of humor I usually hate was 70% funny in this movie. Normally puking on woodland creatures is where I'd tune out, but it delivered a hilarious surprise gag in the middle of the flick.
If you're a pop culture junkie like me and had reservations about the movie, give it a shot. I could see it being a polarizing experience, but chances are you might be delightfully surprised. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say this is going to be a DVD purchase in the Bandit household in a few months.
Final Verdict: 7/10
2 comments:
There should never be reservations when the movie has Jon Cusack in a leading role.
However with the cost of see movies going up by 1 - 3 dollars...most of my viewings will be a'la DVD from now on.
I'll see anything with John Cusack in it, & I mean that.
I've been excited for this for weeks. It just looks too ridiculous for me to pass up. Plus it looks like a dude movie, & I love dude movies.
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