BOTTOM
LINE:
Technically
speaking, “Hot Tub Time Machine” is not a good movie
given the holes in the story and the silliness, but it somehow becomes
more than the sum of its parts, proving to be a lot of fun.
THE
GOOD: You
would expect a stupid comedy with this film given its title, but
director Steve Pink just holds back enough of the gross-out and
over-the-top silly antics to deliver a film that is a lot of fun
to watch. After three middle-aged male friends and a nephew inadvertently
travel back to the 80s courtesy of a turbocharged hot tub, they
have an adventure they did not bargain for, leading to hilarious
results. Initially they try to ensure that the time continuum is
not disrupted, but before long, things do not go according to plan.
The likeability of the cast makes this a winner, with John Cusack
leading from the front. Their antics throughout the film, as well
as their ‘knowledge’ of time travel via 80s sci-fi movies
is hysterical. Another major plus working for this film is the 80s
stars who pop up here and there, with Chevy Chase as the cryptic
hot tub mechanic and Crispin Glover as the one-armed bell hop qualify
as the big stand outs. Glover in particular is the source of one
hilarious running gag where there are multiple opportunities for
him to see where his arm gets chopped off, but it ends up happening
in an unlikely place. “Hot Tub Time Machine” is a surprising
amount of fun.
