Starring: John Cusack, Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry, Clark Duke
Written by: Josh Heald and Sean Anders & John Morris
Directed by: Steve Pink
As a child of the 80’s I often wondered about the world around me. In 1986, when I looked around at the fashion and hair styles, even then I felt like I traveled through time. The looks already seemed dated and laughable to me. Day-glo orange and green? Awful. Big hair? No way. Although that may have been my present, even then I felt like a visitor from the future. But now that actual time has passed and I am no longer alone in reviling the style of that decade, it is nice to see the jokes about the 80's are cropping up in television and film.
The latest poke at that particular past comes in the form of “Hot Tub Time Machine.” Though generally considered by most (read: me) as one of the greatest movie titles ever, a title itself does not make a movie. So does the movie live up to its title? Yes and no. Much like the title, there are plenty of juvenile jokes and potty humor to make a moviegoer giggle; there are also some great quips and glimmers of wit. As funny as the movie may be, it is pretty much impossible to live up to the brilliance of the title.
The casting is strange, but oddly works. Although I can’t imagine the younger version of these guys hanging out, their older counter parts seem oddly fitting. John Cusack plays the curmudgeonly middle aged man who hates his life. I can’t help but imagine his character is sort of what Lane Meyers would have become had made bad life choices. Craig Robinson is the endearing middle aged man who hates his life. Then there is Rob Corddry who is once again playing an asshole, but this time around, he hates his life. Corddry throws himself into the role so fully, that you are not sure whether you hate him enough to beat him up or like him enough to give him a big hug and buy him a beer after you crack one across his jaw. Corddry always knows the fine line to walk when playing an asshole, and this time he turns in another tightrope performance that steals the movie. Finally, Clark turns in another low key but none the less amusing performance as the younger man who does not yet hate his life.
The supporting players work out in varying degrees. Crispin Glover is hysterical in the little bit he is given, but Chevy Chase is a bit grating (even though this same oddball shtick on “Community” makes me howl). The best supporting player is the setting itself. Though the 80’s truly were a different time and place, the stupidity and reckless abandon of youth is as prevalent now as it was back then. And depending on the radio station you are tuned to, some of the soundtrack of that life is the same.
There are plenty of truly funny jokes, but overall, this is not a non-stop comedy. It may not be relentless, but it gives you plenty of moments to guffaw over and they are spaced out evenly enough that you never really get bored. The plot is fairly predictable, but you do not really see a movie like this for its exacting prose. You go for the pee jokes, and against your better judgment, laugh at the gay jokes. The humor is childish (as expected), but if you go to see a movie entitled “Hot Tub Time Machine” and expect anything other than childishness, then you are either lying to yourself or misreading the movie title.
Though the title is sheer brilliance, the movie never quite lives up to its awesome name fully. If you are looking for laughs, this gets the job done. I suspect upon repeat viewings this movie provides heartier laugher. There is a certain feeling you get after seeing a classic comedy for the first time. Your general feeling is, “that was funny. I really enjoyed that.” After thinking about it for awhile, it gets funnier in your head. With subsequent viewings, even funnier. That is what a classic comedy starts as, and I have a suspicion that “Hot Tub Time Machine” will eventually fall into that category.
