I wasn’t really quite sure what to think when I first saw the preview of “Hot Tub Time Machine.” I figured it would either be ridiculously idiotic (as its name leads you to believe), or absolutely hilarious. What I didn’t expect was it to be ridiculously idiotic and absolutely hilarious. The Premise: The film begins with an inebriated Lou (Rob Corddry) crashing his car into the back wall of his garage. He closes the door and instead of getting out, he sings along to Motley Crue and plays the drums on his steering wheel, all while revving the gas pedal in time with the music.
Needless to say, this lands him in the hospital and two of his estranged friends, Adam (John Cusack) and Nick (Craig Robinson), are told by the doctor that it had been a suicide attempt. Worried about their troubled alcoholic friend, the guys (with Adam’s nephew, Jacob (Clark Duke) in tow) decide to take him on vacation to the ski lodge they used to frequent (and practice all kinds of debauchery) in the 1980s.
Upon arriving, they discover the town practically abandoned, the lodge dilapidated, and the few guests occupying the place are definitely not the ski bunnies for which they were hoping.
After checking in, the truculent one-armed bellboy (Crispin Glover from “Back to the Future”) takes them to their room, dumps their bags on the floor, and extends his remaining hand out for a tip.
Despite the room’s rundown appearance, the guys resolve to have a good time. They check out the hot tub only to be disappointed by the dead raccoon at the bottom. They call maintenance and pass the time playing quarters. A short while later, the patio doors swing open, and the hot tub is bubbling and glowing invitingly. The guys jump in and are magically transported back to 1986.
And here is where the real predicament begins. The funniest moments in the movie occur because of the characters’ determination to do everything just as they did the first time (Nick has to cheat on his wife, Lou gets the crap kicked out of him by the ski patrol, and Adam gets stabbed in the eye with a fork) so as not to unravel the fabric of space-time.
They also encounter the same bellboy; only in 1986 he still has both arms and it’s a running gag throughout the movie on just how he ended up losing that arm.
The film has plenty of material to poke fun at (the Cold War, 80s fashion and cassette tapes) and just as many cringe worthy gags that will have you laughing out of your seats.
Bottom Line: “Hot Tub Time Machine” is a raunchy, endearing and often hilarious look at a couple of friends who inadvertently travel through time and are all the better for it.