Who knew this odd premise could sustain a reasonably enjoyable comedy? Obviously, it was whoever took the chance and greenlit this unorthodox project. With a decent box office its opening weekend and generous overall reviews, "Hot Tub Time Machine" is sitting pretty as the top adult comedy in America. The characters are enjoyable enough, the laughs are frequent enough, and the filmmaker is self-aware enough of this ode to the '80s to make this comedy fun viewing. While it is not a sterling example of adult comedy, it is ultimately good enough to entertain audiences and be successful in the quiet movie months of the early spring.
Three former friends come together after a narrowly averted tragedy in 2010. Adam (John Cusack) is going through a bitter break-up, Nick (Craig Robinson; "Pineapple Express") is forced to work a dead-end job, and Lou (Rob Corddry; "Semi-Pro") is a drunken mess. They all miss the good ole days of the 1980s when they were close friends, had their lives in front of them, and before they made a series of bad choices that got them where they are now. Trying to re-live the old times and reconnect, the three guys and Adam's 20-year-old, live in the basement, nephew Jacob travel to a former winter resort in Kodiak Valley. The place holds fond memories for the group, from when they partied together at Winterfest '86. After a jump in the old hot tub and the spilling of a power drink on the controls, the group goes back in time to the festival. Warned by the repair man (Chevy Chase) not to change things before the hot tub can be fixed, the group must relive some of their biggest mistakes to get back home.
The comedy is unexpectedly raunchy, even for an R-rated picture, but once the viewer gets used to it the language works within the confines of a bunch of guys sowing their wild oats. Occasionally scenes do press beyond good taste but mostly the humor is contagious. The real star of the picture is Corddry as the foul-mouthed, aggressive friend who is looking for a new lease on life. Corddry's timing and enthusiasm makes each scene a firecracker waiting to go off. He actually upstages Cusack, who is supposedly the star in the picture. Cusack is less passive in this picture with the help of the energy brought by his co-star. Robinson brings his own brand of Judd Apatow influenced humor to the party, being the self-aware straight man as necessary.
The time appropriate soundtrack along with the ski bunnies and studs torn from an eighties B-movie help set the stage for a fun poke at the earnest cheesiness of the decade. My primary criticisms of the movie are the wasted opportunities for humor and character development in the nephew and the repair man. The nephew has a few quips about e-mails and texting but never really becomes a part of the story. It's as though the director didn't know what to do with the character once he was included in the plot. The lost groom from "The Hangover" was better established than Jacob. Similarly, having a comic legend like Chase in the picture should have led to some funny sequences with him instead of a glorified cameo.
The story loses some of its driving pace and comedic style at the end of the second act when the characters are feeling sorry for themselves. Luckily, the tempo in "Hot Tub Time Machine" picks up in the drive to the finale. The ending is an appropriate topper to an unusual story. The movie is a nice piece of throwback farce that is worth viewing for fans of the decade and raunchy comedy. It will at least tide audiences over until "The Hangover 2."
Rated R for strong crude and sexual content, nudity, drug use and pervasive language.
