Hot tub Time Machine Review

As far as crude guy flicks are concerned, Judd Apatow's movies remain on top. They provide a believable story with characters most people can relate to at some level, while keeping audiences holding their sides in laughter. "Hot Tub Time Machine" is not at that level but, by not taking itself seriously at all, it forces the audience to make fun of its ridiculousness, and that is precisely what it wants. Picture "Back to the Future" without Doc Brown, add some lowlife idiots, and ignore any efforts to try to explain why a hot tub becomes a time machine and you have a good representation of this movie.

The story is your simple guy flick affair. Three burnout friends, Adam, Nick and Lou, come back together to relive old times at their favorite winter resort from their teen years. Unfortunately, the resort is as much of a failure as their lives and they also have to bring along Adam's computer-obsessed nephew Jacob, who is the representation of the current teenage generation. The movie lives up to its title eventually by having all four guys teleported back to 1986 my means of a hot tub. The story is ridiculous and extremely simplistic, yet it places the characters in the classic situations one would expect from a time travel comedy.

Comedic movies rely on the delivery of each punchline, and this can only be achieved with the actors' performances. "Hot Tub Time Machine" suffers slightly in this respect. John Cusack plays his usual hopeless romantic role, as Adam, while Rob Corddry tries too hard to be the careless party guy Lou. The director even seems to completely forget about Jacob's character for half the movie, barely managing to tie him in near the end. With that said, Craig Robbinson steals the show as Nick, giving the movie's most quotable lines at every opportunity. Special appearances by Chevy Chase and Crispin Glover are a welcome addition and give the movie further 80s nostalgia.

Call it offensive, call it rude, call it freaking disgusting but "Hot Tub Time Machine" is an entertaining movie. By knowing where it stands and not trying to dethrone any other time travel classics, it manages to build its niche and draw continuous laughs from its audience. It has plenty of flaws but, as an unbridled homage to the 80s, it is impossible not to enjoy it.