We’ve had all weird kind’s of Time Machines over the years. From remote controls in Click to the greatest time machine ever, the Delorean in BTTF. Sure you can bang on about the shit in Galaxy Quest, Bill&Ted, Planet of the monkeys and so on, but for me none will ever be as cool as the DeLorean. This should be the part where I write, “Until Now”. But a Hot Tub is a damn fine second! Hot Tub’s will always have a place in my heart as I was in one on my wedding night and nearly lost my baby making machine trying to put the cover back on. But hey, that’s a story for another time.
So, what’s the story with Hot Tub Time Machine. Well, a group of dudes bring the dude that they don’t really like too much, on a weekend away after they think he tried to kill himself, in his garage. So Adam (John Cusack), Nick (Craig Robinson), and Adams nephew Jacob (Clarke Duke) bring Lou (Rob Corddry) to Kodiak Valley Ski Resort. This was the place where some serious good times had happened for them all in the past, as well as break ups, punch ups and getting knocked up. But when they arrive, the place is a shit hole. Run down and about to close down. They book into the same suite they booked into for Winterfest 86 and start the party.
Which basically involves some lame ass, throw money into a glass game, have a few beers and ring for a hooker. But all is not lost, as they find a Hot Tub in the balcony and without any encouragement they all pile into it and get absolutely wasted. The following morning, they wake up in 1986 and realise the Hot Tub, isn’t just any Hot Tub, it’s a Hot Tub Time Machine. The rest of the story revolves around Chevy Chase who’s the mysterious Hot Tub repair man and the guys trying to do the exact same things they done way back in the day, as to not disrupt the time space continuum and make Hitler president or whatever. So what follows is a few comedic scrapes and instances as they try to get back to 2010.
Hot Tub Time Machine reunites director Steve Pink with John Cusack (the pair previously worked on High Fidelity for example) as well as teaming up with what really is a brilliant cast. Besides Cusack, you have Clark Duke, Craig Robinson and Rob Corddry and all are really, really great and funny with an impeccable since of timing. Cusack is Cusack but is completely outshone by the rest of the cast, in particular Rob Corddry who is the highlight of the movie and is soooo watchable.
As for the movie, well it’s a stupid story, but it knows it stupid as do the cast (keep an eye out for Craig Robinson acknowledging this). It never pretends to be anything other than a stupid, silly, brilliantly named comedy. And it brings the funny. Not a lot of funny, but when it is funny, it is…funny. It can be a little bit dry at times and some of the dialogue leaves alot to be desired, and if you wanted to get scientific on the plot, you could rip holes in it bigger than a family of elephants. If Back To The Future thought us anything, you are not allowed to run into your self in the past. But the Hot Tub dudes don’t even exist in the past, their present selves are portrayed as their past selves. But Doc Brown rambling aside, Hot Tub Time Machine, while its not this years Hangover, it will certainly entertain at times and unlike alot of comedies it’s got a little bit of heart. And to be honest, you could see a helluva lot worse! Leave your brain at door!
