Male Fantasy

Posted on Jun 11, 2010

Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

Directed By: Steve Pink

Review Written By: Justin Bozung
Mondo Film & Video Guide Editor
IMDb.com Link

This seems to be Hollywood’s newest comedy format.  It all started with Todd Phillip’s Old School, and that transferred into The Hangover last year.   So ask yourself, why would you wanna see a film, that’s called, Hot Tub Time Machine?  On paper, it looks like it could be something great. It’s got John Cusack. However, Cusack, is never as good as he is, in work that’s he’s wrote himself.  And you know given the Troma inspired raunchiness of Hollywood comedy over the last 5-8 years, that perhaps, you’ll get a couple “Oh My God” laughs out of the experience.  And with Hot Tub Time Machine, that’s exactly what will happen. Like myself, I’m certain most of you out there, are a sucker for raunch, just as I!

Hot Tub Time Machine is a eager tale of three friends that with time, life events, and personality have began to drift apart.  When the total loser of the bunch tries to kill himself, the triplet team up, for a last hurrah road trip to a ski resort where many previous good times as friends had occured.  Along for the ride this time, is Jacob (Clark Duke), John Cusack’s live in nephew.  The group begins to realize a few moments into the vacaction that their friendship isn’t as tight as it once was.  Mix some booze in, and the group end up in their hotel hot tub, where the party gets outta hand, a guy in a bear costume ends up drinking in the hottub, a red bull type drink is spilled into the electronics of the hot tub, and presto, the four duders are back in 1986 the next morning when they wake up!

Confused, mind fucked, and hung over, the fellas access the situation, and try to remember everything they did on this spot back in 1986.  A cryptic and hilarious hot tub repair tech (cameo’d by the brilliant as always, Chevy Chase) warns them, that they have till midnight, and that they should be careful not to alter historic events.  The gang sets out to re-live their pasts, of course, trying not to alter their futures, but of course, a minut change will alter their entire lives!

Not to give away anything here, I will say that the film however extremely predictable is very funny, and surprisingly nostaglic and heart-felt.  And since I know you’re all waiting to hear about the raunch, let’s just say, that you’ll gag when the urine goes in the feller’s faces, also there are enough random tits to make a man go blind, the word “FUCK” is used about 1000 times,  and you’ll be covering your mouth and shaking your head “NO”, during the “blow-job” scene.  Which, happens to feature a extremely wonderful surprise cameo appearance, by William Zabka.  Zabka, now very much older, and here with a John Holmes mustache, is best known as “Johnny”, the evil karate kid in 1984′s Karate Kid.  I thought he was dead!    Always loved that guy!  Sweep the leg, Johnny.

Directed by Steve Pink, and written by enough writers to handle a whole season of television sit-com fair, Hot Tub Time Machine, is somewhat hilarious, but does get on your nerves a little in select places.  The key to the successful raunchy comedy, is the placement of that one actor that breaks through with their performance. Will Ferrell in Old School, Zach Galifianakis in the Hangover.  Unfortunatly, there isn’t anyone in place here to have that happen, and I think that’s why the film doesn’t rank up amongst the previous.

The gang of Hot Tub Time Machine rest assured make it back to 2010 safely.  And as Lou (played by Rob Corddry) puts it, ” Is is wrong to use my knowledge of the future in the past for financial gain?”   “Probably. Do I give a shit?   No.”

Justin Bozung is the Co-Founder and Editor of the Mondo Film & Video Guide. You can email him directly at justinb@mondo-video.com