"Hot Tub Time Machine" (2010) - Movie Review

There are natural born faces which beg to be punched and there are human made movie titles which begs to be not watched. I went against the latter rule. It was not a mistake but a slight blunder. I should have known that John Cusack has crossed over and departed his picky films and off beat comedies. “Hot Tub Time Machine” is a faint hope to ride the destiny of “The Hangover” and it ropes on those momentum failing to create a chain of character we like or love to hate.

To boost up the morale of their friend Lou (Rob Corddry), a raging alcoholic, jerk and registered mad man, his friends Adam (John Cusack) and Nick (Craig Robinson) take him to their high school favourite place, Kodiek, a ski resort. Adam’s nephew Jacob (Clark Duke) a member of the clan of basement video game junkies tags along for the fun. A town now deserted, lost and depressing surprises them. They had glorious days in their high school and there is only a grunted one arm hotel employee Phil (Crispin Glover). After boozing nonstop in the titular tub, these four are transported to the year of 86.

The catch is that they see each other as they are in 2010 but are trapped in their high school bodies. Jacob though is the same except jittering like hologram now and then. He is not yet in the production. Some goofy old man (Chevy Chase) supposed to be the fixer of this hot tub advises them to not change anything and they painfully undertake this mindless routine.

“Hot Tub Time Machine” is a cry to stand along with the “The Hangover”. That film in my opinion is a very good film playing with the same mindless chores in the best possible action. Then why it does not fly up in this film? May be because there was not much sense to like these guys. Even the adorable John Cusack is clueless in his typical clueless role. As the recent divorced individual, he wanders around and as everyone wondering the path not taken. And as his friends put forth, he is a narcissistic fellow only that it does not become something we would like to cheer for.

The annoying factor comes through Lou, a dangerous character. He was left aloof when he needed his friends and this is an opportunity to make amends or may be not, as they have to follow the advice of the freaky old man Chevy Chase. While Adam will be stabbed with a fork by his then girl friend and Lou will be pummeled by a crazy tough guy syndrome kid, Nick is the only individual ready to be sexually attacked by a beauty. He considers that cheating and cries while love making. He is the one reason we might like this guy and the film but he becomes a caricature of writer’s bad jokes.

Steve Pink is the director of this film having high hopes in roping these good combination. The idea of time machine comedy is unoriginal in first place but to demolish the reminiscence of the eighties is another thing. Many of the references which are potential dish for nostalgic humour goes uncooked and distasteful.

Learning the curse words as a kid, saying it several times were funny, but then we grow up and then learn that they are just words with hate or bad humour or good humour attached to it. Some of them do not learn that and lives in those past. Saying those several times does not constitute humour in films too. And having scenes about penis, vagina and puke does not automatically add up to great humour either. Unfortunately “Hot Tub Time Machine” does not think so and hence we do the same thing what we would do to the people keep living in that immature past, we grow apart.