Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Hot Tub Time Machine 2 - Movie Review


Hot Tub Time Machine 2, directed again by Steve Pink, continues the adventures of Lou, Nick, and Jacob as they travel through time in search of fame and fortune. The movie stars Roy Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Adam Scott, Gillian Jacobs, Chevy Chase, Collette Wolfe, and Bianca Haase.


When we last saw our favorite group of time travelling misfits, they had just reshaped history to their benefit and have continued to enjoy unparalleled success...until one of them is shot right in the nuts. Of course, this dilemma sends them back into the hot tub time machine and they end up in a future where things haven't quite turned out how they expected and the fashion trends are just plain weird. Now, their journey will be to fix what has gone wrong with the present while trying to get back to the past in time to save their future. Meanwhile, there is lots of sex, drugs, running around, and singing of vaguely familiar pop songs.


Having really enjoyed the first installment in this series, I was definitely interested to see if they could successfully pull off a sequel or if it would end up in the bargain bins at Best Buy after a short run in theaters. Thankfully, this movie continues the hilarious high jinks and in some ways raises the comedic bar to new heights. I do have to say, the first movie feels more like a well crafted comedy feature whereas this one is more like a series of really funny skits that just happen to come together as a cohesive story. I'm not sure what I can really say about Steve Pink's work as a director other than he has successfully made another really funny movie.


I do have to say that not having John Cusack in the movie is a bit of a downer although I never really felt like the movie suffered and Adam Scott does a fine job as a sort of replacement. One of the best running gags in the movie is the selection of top 40 hits we get to see Craig Robinson's character perform under the guise that they are his own songs although his one original hit called "The Strut" may be the most entertaining of them all. Rob Corrdry is hilarious as always and he truly knows no limits when it comes to what he will do for a laugh and Clark Duke provides the necessary grounded personality to balance out the wild antics of his movie father.


Hot Tub Time Machine 2 is definitely one of those movies where you can just kick back and enjoy without having to put much thought into what you are watching. No, this is not Shakespeare and I would hope no one would expect any sort of high art while watching this film as they would be extremely disappointed. If you want tons of belly laughs and a big pile of "holy sh*t!" moments, then this is definitely the movie for you.




 


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