.jpg)
The 1980’s. A time of big hair, fluro clothing, electro pop and leg warmers. Is this a time one would like to revisit? No, not for those reasons. But obviously for many other reasons, the stars, the other good music, the movies, the motherfucking Deloreon!!! We can say its definitely a unique and strange moment in human history, that will never truly return…or will it…in the case of Hot Tub Time Machine.
The film is in many ways a satire, parody, love letter to the decade and the films and stars it produced. Simply, it tells the story of four guys, who are all fed up with their own adult existence: Adam (John Cusack) has been dumped by his wife and is going through an ugly divorce, Nick (Craig Robertson), a failed promising music act is stuck sticking his hand up animals asses and married to a wife, who controls him completely, so far as to making him take her last name, Jacob (Clarke Duke) is Adam’s young niece who lives in his basement, stuck in front of a computer playing second life and Lou (Rob Corddry) is suicidal. After Lou almost kills himself, they decide to take a trip to the Kodiak Valley Ski Resort where three of them used to party as teenagers in the 80s, only to find the place barren and dilapidated. However, just as theyre about to give up, after a mishap of mixing various random elements with their rooms hot tub, they find themselves transported back into their younger selves (save for Jacob, who stays the same) in 1986, where they must try and find a way home without screwing up past events.
This film is a mix of fun elements all around, vulger comedy, interesting casting, the 1980s and the always compelling element of time travel. The film with its obviously silly subject matter could well have become a competely run of the mill comedy, but at the hands of Steve Pink, the man responsible for writing other very sharp and entertaining films starring Cusack, being Grosse Point Blank and High Fidelity, he saves the film from an unfunny, unentertaining, forgotten comedy hell, making it quite an enjoyable time.
The script never takes itself seriously, but rather promotes the idea of silliness, in a tasteful fashion, playing with the effects of time travel and also the culture of the time and of today. It doesn’t particularly bullshit around and gets straight to the point, yet developing the characters and their situations in an effective and humorous fashion.
With the cast, it is fantastic to see Cusack and Pink working together again, especially on a subject so very joined to Cusack, once an 80s brat packing golden boy, popping up in John Hughes’ Sixteen Candles, gaining his big break in Rob Reiner’s The Sure Thing to a couple of quintessentially 80s teen romps directed by “Savage” Steve Holland, the most famous being 1985’s Better Off Dead, a film that has ingrained itself into pop culture frequently referenced in parody, especially in Hot Tub Time Machine as the movie also takes place in a crazy ski resort. Cusack has grown into possibly the most successful brat packer and forged an impressive career, however, no one will ever forget him as an 80s teen star, so it is great to see Cusack return to this world as a parody of himself. When he yells “I hate the 80s” its difficult to see if its Cusack of the character saying it, who knows, it works, and show also that hes still got it, attracting beautiful women left to right. He’s having fun, he utilizes his signature wit and kookiness, its a return to form from the past few years in low budget, forgettable indie films.
Cusack gains excellent equal support from his three lesser known co-stars. Craig Robinson of Pineapple Express and The Office (US) fame instills his unique negro deadpan humour, used to great effect, especially the oft seen proclamation “some sort of Hot Tub Time Machine” before staring directly at the camera, which is impossible NOT to laugh at. He also brings his insecure girlish freakout wuss traits which are utterly hilarious, such as in the realisation scene, asking what colour Michael Jackson is, as well as when he calls his then 8yr old wife to verbally abuse her. We can hope he gets greater roles following this.
Clark Duke, from Kick-Ass works well too in Jacob, instilling a great comedic awkwardness, pulling numerous quiet one liners that add to many jokes. His role is very much the anti-Marty McFly, having the same problem of meeting his own parents in the past, yet is a physical opposite, intoverted, chubby geek. But maintains a good charm.
Rob Corddry, who ive seen only in Harold and Kumar - Escape From Guantanamo Bay, is hilariously entertaining, as the suicidal asshole of a friend in Lou, who, with Nick, seriously do everything to fuck up the future for their own gain (Louggle!!!). Corddry delivers many memorable lines which get obnoxious vigour, and intense grossness in many sequences, such as the blowjob scene, and the threesome with terrified Jacob. He is rude at its entertaining best.
It is also great to see other 80s stars, Chevy Chase, as the hot tub repair man, who in his cryptic dialogue pretty much says next to nothing, but it is this crypticness that makes him funny and Crispin Glover as Phil, the one armed bellboy, to which in the past is still two-armed and cheerful, and becomes a running gag through the film as he gets caught in numerous situations that would become the cause of his lost arm. It is an insanely funny plot device.
Sure, you know how the film will end, but the film is more about how you get there, what screwed up timey whimy stuff do these average joes run into, which makes it fun. Full of funny moments (great white buffalo) is a fantastically silly and surreal trip back to the 80s, oozing the music (as seen in the soundtrack), the style and the stars (including some of the actors) with some squirrels to help out. Let’s hope Steve Pink makes more gloriousness soon!
3/5
