Hot Tub Time Machine

Went out on a limb and rented a brand new release on blu-ray to see if it had anything valuable to offer, and the answer was ‘kind of’. The film follows four guys, three who are lifelong friends. When one of the friends tries to kill himself they take a weekend vacation to their old hang out place atop a skiing resort. The town is not what it used to be and they settle for a night of partying in a hot tub with each other while they’re naked. Long story short, they travel back in time after a Russian sports drink spills into the control panel of the hot tub. So they are magically transported back to 1986.

HTTM Trailer

This film left me feeling stagnant. The story is stupid and some of the situations are even dumber. But I guess that’s the point, right? There were some genuinely funny moments that made me laugh out loud. There were even a few parts where I rewound the bluray to experience it again. The majority of the hilarity and ridiculousness comes from Rob Corddry who is the probably the only redeeming factor in this film. Without him this would have been a lot of nothing for 98 minutes. Joan Cusack is semi wasted as he doesn’t really add to much to the film in this character role. The young boy is good too, but not on Rob’s level. Craig Robinson, most well known star from TV show The Office, is quite good as well. Craig and Rob keep the comical moments moving along quite well.

Overall the film is funny. Fairly absurd in almost every scene, but it works for what it is. Also, the transformation of the ski resort to back to the 1986 timeframe is impressive as well. They went through a lot of work to restore the 1908s for the screen, and they did a really good job. I hate the 1908s, so it wasn’t as magical for me as it will be for those who loved that era. The guest appearance by Chevy Chase as the hot tub repairman was also a fresh breath for this film.

Rating: 5/10
RT: 63%