Hot Tub Time Machine Mini Review

Adam(John Cusack  ), Nick(Craig Robinson  ) and Lou(Rob Corddry  ) are three out of touch friends, whose lives are in varying states of disarray. The trio is brought back together when Lou has a suspiciously suicidal near-death experience. Hoping to reconnect and rejuvenate, Adam and Nick take Lou for a weekend away at the Kodiak Valley Ski Resort, just as they did back in their heyday. Adam's adolescent, live-in nephew Jacob(Clark Duke  ) also comes along for the trip, much to Lou's chagrin. Upon their arrival, they discover that "K-Val" isn't the party paradise it once was. Oh, well. At least their room has a hot tub they can rock out in. I don't want to give too much more away, but the hot tub may or may not send them back in time. To the year 1986. Maybe.

"Looks like a perfectly normal hot tub to me."

I don't like John Cusack in this. In fact, I can't remember ever liking him in anything. The most positive thing I can say about him is that he was tolerable in 2012. I felt much the same about Rob Corddry. I just didn't like either of these guys enough to laugh at them.

Craig Robinson is a worthy addition as Nick, as is Clark Duke as Jacob. Without these guys, it would have been a far worse film.
Chevy Chase   and Crispin Glover   both appear in minor roles; Chevy as the mysterious hot tub repair man, and Crispin as a surly, one armed bellhop. Perhaps Crispin would land bigger roles if he wasn't such a slacker.
Lizzy Caplan   also makes an appearance and I just wanted to say that I still hate her for what she put Jason Stackhouse through.

"Maybe not."

Hot Tub Time Machine is about fun, and while it has the odd sentimental moment, it's never serious which makes it easy to not to scrutinize and just enjoy the shenanigans. This is the crudest film I've seen in a while. It's funny, but not quite enough to excuse the extreme vulgarity. Since it's just some mindless fun, it gets a free pass on plot, but it loses points for the two mediocre main characters.

I'm giving Hot Tub Time Machine a score of two and a half squirrels out of 5.

If this type of movie is your thing, you should check out the far superior Pineapple Express and Zack & Miri Make a Porno.