Hot Tub Time Machine

(2010) director Steve Pink
viewed: 07/14/10

I have to say that when I first heard of the comedy Hot Tub Time Machine, I thought of the semi-obscure Spanish science fiction film Timecrimes (2007) which I saw last year.  You see, in this odd little sci fi, the “time machine” is essentially a hot tub.  It’s funny because I remember this quite distinctly, though I don’t know that I’ve read any direct influence of the Timecrimes on Hot Tub Time Machine, not that there would be any other than the fact that the concept is having a hot tub being a time machine.  Of course, it’s more serious and less-hot tubby in Timecrimes, but there you go.

Hot Tub Time Machine is a high concept comedy starring John Cusack as a middle aged dude and his buddies who wind up hot tubbing it from the here and now back into 1986.  The whole concept sounds random, is random.  But you know, the title kind of tells you most you need to know and then throw in the whole 1980′s angle, you’ve got a popular retro theme with lots of tunes to throw in too.

The film has some knowing ironical self-reference in just having Cusack as a star.  His roots as a popular actor go back into the 1980′s: The Sure Thing (1985), Better Off Dead (1985), Say Anything (1989).  It’s almost like he’s going back in time and visiting a version of his actorly self, a character that he could have played 24 years ago.  Crispin Glover also appears as a bellhop with one of the funnier recurring jokes.  Glover notably starred in Back to the Future (1985), another time travel comedy.

Outside of that, the 1980′s is more a typical punching bag for gag lines: bad hair, bad clothes, cultural ironies.  Though the present gets some jabs as well, with things that we all take for granted now as anachronisms if you’re back in the past.

The film has some funny gags, some low blows, but it’s also got a lot of flab, like the middle aged versions of the characters.   And while it’s fun enough, it’s not one of the better comedies of recent times.

There seems like there is much more left on the table here than actually utilized.  We have three middle aged men who get a chance to go back and be their youngish selves, talking to girls (who think they look like normal 20 year olds) but really, they’re all in their 40′s.  While none of the men is at a happy place in the film’s starting present, the pain points of their middle age don’t get the full flogging they could have given them.  I mean, I felt like I could write better gags.  That’s not something you want to be thinking when you’re watching a movie.

Still, some points for creative concepts.  You won’t mix it up with other films out there.

Oh, and one last less relevent note.  I watched this film On Demand because Netflix has recently started embargoing content as part of some other content agreement.  I don’t fully understand it, but this film won’t be on Netflix for a couple of more weeks, but is available On Demand and at the local video stores.  I think this is to improve DVD sales and force people to rent On Demand.   I wasn’t too excited about spending an extra $5 to see this but when it came down to it, I decided I felt like watching it.  And then it came in non-letterboxed, the first of the On Demand films that I’ve paid for that have been that way.  And I have to say, I hate to watch films cropped like that, but the picture also seemed kind of dim and not so great.  Just a note.