So if I had to compile a list of my top ten funny movies, I'm pretty sure 'Hot Tub Time Machine' would be somewhere on that list. Heck if I know why, but that movie kills me. It is tasteless, crass and infantile… but gosh darn… that movie brought the funny. But despite my fondness for that film I wasn't leaving the theater thinking how cool a sequel would be. I didn't even think it was near successful enough to warrant a sequel but here we are with 'Hot Tub Time Machine 2'. Is this movie funny? Sure it is… it has Rob Coddry and Craig Robinson in it. These two cats could assume the roles of Iago and Othello and somehow make it funny. Uh oh… Othello as a wacky moron-com. I think I just had a brainstorm, somebody make that happen. But back on point… yes it is funny. On occasion. Which means it's not as funny as the first one. Not even close.
The last time we saw our heroes, Lou (Coddry) has completely manipulated the future in his favor as Lougle is the world's premiere search engine, or at least it was until Lou messed it up. Nick is now a huge recording star even though he's only stealing songs from other artists with actual songwriting talent, before they've had a chance to write said songs, and Jacob (Clark Duke) is firmly entrenched as Lou's butler. John Cusack's character of Adam will not be making an appearance, unless if you have the unrated Blu Ray edition, but he is present in spirit in this film and his absence will somewhat drive this narrative forward.
During a big Lougle party, Lou gets his penis shot off. BWAHAHAHA! Fortunately Lou has purchased the Hot Tub Time machine and now it's time for the boys to got to the past to stop Lou's killer before he shoots his penis off. Unfortunately, the time machine actually jets them to the future, which the repairman (Chevy Chase) explains off as the past or something… hell, I can't remember… but whatever, they are in the year 2025 to see what their lives are looking like now, with the plan to find Adam who they think might've had a hand in blowing off Lou's penis.
In 2025 our heroes don't find Adam, but they do find his son… not going to get into all of that… Adam Jr. (Adam Scott) and he joins in for hilarity, hijinks, sodomy and acts as sort of a guide to this relatively near future. A future in which some pretty amazing changes have happened in just ten years.
Are any of these plot points important? I guess they could be if you're actually paying attention to the movie, but in reality… not really. Just know that poor Lou is flickering, just like poor Jacob was in the last movie, and if they don't find Lou's killer, there will be a world with no Lou. And while we love Lou… we really do… even his friends and family should realize that a world without Lou is a better world all around.
What can we tell you about this completely unnecessary sequel, 'Hot Tub Time Machine 2'? Is John Cusack missed? Not really since John is a straight man by trade and as such Adam Scott capably fills that role. Yes, Adam Scott is no John Cusack… I guess… but still, Scott was okay. Clearly if Coddry or Robinson had bowed out then this sequel would be a non-starter, and since they did sign on, we'd be untruthful if we said that this movie wasn't funny. We must give it up to Clark Duke as well because as it turns out this young man has a very loyal following of fans who I do not wish to upset. A lot of them being young women. When I was growing up, someone who looked like Clark Duke would be the target of endless derision, now he's like a sex symbol or something. My how times change.
The simple fact remains, however, that despite the fact that this movie did bring the funny on occasion, I just didn't find it as funny as the first film. It was certainly more crass and tasteless, I believe it had more boobs and drug usage… not that I'm comparing boobs to drug usage because boobs are great, one of God's greatest creations which should never be vilified, and drug usage is bad… but this movie did have more of both. It was also more violent and had more sodomy. The thing is that boobs, sodomy, violence, and crass tastelessness in of themselves just aren't funny, and most times it wasn't funny here. Plus the magic of the 80's far outdistances the imagined future presented to us here as a set piece.
But it does have its moments. Putting Rob Coddry and Craig Robinson in a room together is a winning combination where I come from, and with Clark Duke coloring the edges, I'd still have to sort of recommend this to fans of the original, and fans of tasteless moron-coms in general. Not being as funny as 'Hot Tub Time Machine' is no crime, but it is nonetheless true in regards to this sequel.
