Hot Tub Time Machine: The Back In Time Review

If I could go back in time the first thing I would re-write history so I could star in Die Hard, Commando, and Cobra. Then I would probably make some minor tweaks to ensure the future would be better than the past and then I hop back to the present and just live my life. Well, I was certainly living my life last night when I hit up the very crowded midnight showing of the enjoyable Hot Tub Time Machine.

By now you know the story is about four pals, or three pals and a kid who thanks to some magical whirlpool action get transported back to the best year in the history of years: 1986! And like all great time travel movies they have to get back the future and have some fun while trying to do it. In terms of time travel narratives, this is not PRIMER (by the way if you haven't seen that movie, please do), it's a dumb downed time travel story for the midnight crowd.

The film is funny enough that you can look past it's flaws and missed opportunities. The four leads Rob Corddry, John Cusack, Craig Robinson, and Clark Duke all score some solid laughs, but the bulk of the laughs come from Corddry and Robinson, who seem to be having the time of their lives in this movie. But seriously, how can you not be having a ball with a movie like this, I mean look at the title.

The film is not as enjoyable as "The Hangover" but it's pretty close. There are some missed opportunities and loose ends mainly, who the hell is Chevy Chase's character. The creators also missed a boatload of laughs by not having tons of John Cusack self-referential jokes, which is surprising because Cusack is a producer on the film. But generally, if I could go back in time, to um Thursday March 25th at 5:30 PM, I'd say to myself:

Yo, TPG, what's good, yeah go ahead, buy that ticket to Hot Tub Time Machine, you won't regret it, and while your at it, brace yourself for a crushing Syracuse loss, and take the right lane home from work.

Chances are you know if you're going to see it or not. The film is exactly what you think it is: a stupid, funny, gross out comedy, albeit, one with time travel and hot tubs.