Hot Tub Time Machine

MGM

Rating: 7/10

Hot Tub Time Machine is a comedy that follows two friends Nick (Craig Robinson) and Adam (John Cusack) as they try to boost the morale of their suicidal friend, Lou (Rob Corddry), by planning a ski trip to the same resort they used to frequent in their heyday. They drag along Adam’s depressed nephew Jacob (Clark Duke), who prefers life in the virtual word over the real world.

After the crew drives to their destination, they are disappointed when they realize their favorite resort that was once the to-go place for sexual escapades, drunken debauchery and Poison concerts, isn’t nearly as radical as it was in 1986. It’s now a rundown town that’s about two abandoned shacks away from dilapidation. The guys decide to check in anyway and proceed to get inebriated in the hot tub. After a night of drinking and spilling a magical liquid concoction in and around the tub, the guys wake up to find they’ve traveled back in time to the epic party, Winterfest ‘86. The result is a film that’s just as ridiculous as the title, but don’t write this movie off. It’s the best comedy I’ve seen so far in 2010.

Fans of The Hangover will enjoy this story that follows four guys on what begins as a male-bonding trip, but ends up being a quest to figure out how to get back to 2010. The guys encounter a few obstacles and of course, neon colored ski gear, crimped hairstyles and tape players. Each character has to retrace their footsteps and reenact what happened the last time they visited the resort 24 years ago. This includes performing in front of a crowd, getting into some fights, and breaking up with a hot girlfriend of yesteryear.

Although it’s not as finessed as the films it will inevitably be compared to (The Hangover and Old School), Hot Tub Time Machine is still worth watching due to the comedic performances of the four main characters. In fact, Craig Robinson and Rob Corddry rarely have scenes that don’t elicit a few, serious laughs. Although the premise and the title of the movie may seem absolutely absurd, it’s a fun-filled flick packed with laugh out loud moments and no shortage of 80’s nostalgia. If you can appreciate four guys on an amusing trip down memory lane, you won’t want to miss Hot Tub Time Machine.