Eric Melin and Trevan McGee review “Hot Tub Time Machine,” the new 2010 sex comedy, with a guest appearance by Scooter Jones from Lawrence.com web series The Sports Buddaye.
Or go to KTKA-49’s website here to see Eric’s 1-minute video review, broadcast on the 6 o’clock news tonight!
Eric says: You know going in that any movie with the title “Hot Tub Time Machine” is bound to have a tenuous grasp on the generally accepted movie rules of time travel. And from the previews, you may have guessed that it’s a raucous, rated-R comedy about men who don’t want to grow up.
Well, you’d be right on both counts. Despite its absurd premise—that three guys could travel back in time to the ski lodge of their youth for one night to party like its 1988—“Hot Tub Time Machine” is a pretty formulaic affair. John Cusack, Rob Corddry, and Craig Robinson all learn what life would be like if they hadn’t have given up their high school dreams for the emasculating adult lives they currently lead.
Sound like guy-oriented wish fulfillment? It is. Sound like “The Hangover”? That too.
The stars are appealing, though, and a running joke featuring Crispin Glover—the Dad from “Back to the Future”—hits all the right notes. The gross-out humor mixes uncomfortably with some misplaced sentimentality, but “Hot Tub Time Machine” is just funny enough that you may want to take it for a spin.
Eric is the Editor-in-Chief of Scene-Stealers.com and writes the Screen Stealers column for The Pitch. He’s President of the KCFCC, and drummer for The Dead Girls and Ultimate Fakebook. He is also Air Guitar World Champion Mean Melin. Eric goes to 11. Follow him at:
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
This was amazing, start to finish! The trailers give away NONE of the good jokes, which is a first! I don’t want to spoil anything, but this was tons better than the HANGOVER. Why? It had more memorable situations and was less predictable.
Can’t remember anything from HANGOVER now. Some scene with Mike Tyson’s tiger? The rest is formulaic.
This was amazing, start to finish! The trailers give away NONE of the good jokes, which is a first! I don’t want to spoil anything, but this was tons better than the HANGOVER. Why? It had more memorable situations and was less predictable.
Can’t remember anything from HANGOVER now. Some scene with Mike Tyson’s tiger? The rest is formulaic.
Moeez- It was nice to have the trailer not ruin everything; good point. Let’s hope for a longer life on video, I guess…agreed with your sentiment on “The Hangover.”
Moeez- It was nice to have the trailer not ruin everything; good point. Let’s hope for a longer life on video, I guess…agreed with your sentiment on “The Hangover.”