“Hot Rod” an enjoyable mock-’80s comedy

Released this year shortly before “Superbad” with a similar comic tone, “Hot Rod” is the kind of film where you either get the humor or it sails over your head. The main character Rod believes himself to be an up-and-coming stuntman, but what he performs rarely works and is far from groundbreaking. The movie purposely wants to be compared to a motivational ‘80s movie down to the rock soundtrack. “Hot Rod” actually has unique characters, humorous situations, and funny dialogue, which makes the film an enjoyable comedy.

Rod (Andy Samberg; TV’s “Saturday Night Live”) is a young man who wants to be and do what he can’t. He wants to be a world-class stuntman like his father, but his unconventional training methods and improper equipment make this unlikely. He also wants to win the respect of his step-father, by successfully taking him down in improvised fighting contests, but he can’t make that happen either. A girl (Isla Fisher; “Wedding Crashers”) from his past comes back into his life and his stepfather falls ill - motivating him to get his life straight and do what he was meant to.

Rod is played with a Napoleon Dynamite over-the-top quality, which works for the story, making him weird but believable. His friends and stunt crew have some good lines and a deadpan delivery that may catch you laughing once you get the joke. While this movie leans more towards a younger crowd, those who appreciated Will Ferrell’s work in “Talladega Nights” will find this film to their liking. With a low-budget feel and a relatively shallow story, you may not learn anything from watching “Hot Rod” - but you might bust a gut laughing.

Rated PG-13 for crude humor, language, some comic drug-related and violent content.