www.kicksomepast.com
20th Century Fox
Even though the new comedy flick Hot Tub Time Machine has such as silly and unbelievably ridiculous plot, there is something about it that works and it concludes as a comical story. The year begins as 2010 but not for long when three friends escape their terrible city lives of Los Angels and head for Kodiak Valley Ski Resort. After a crazy night of drinking and relaxing in a hot tub, the guys wake up during Winterfest ‘86. At first, they set out on a path to act out the same events of that night fourteen years ago, but decide this may be their only opportunity to put right the things in their lives that went wrong, change their destinies and make the futures they had always wanted.
The plot is not an original idea as the thought of being sent back to the past has been used in numerous other films and because of it you may tend to expect a let down of a movie. However, although the ‘returning to the past’ plot may be repetitive, the same cannot be said for the way in which the four fellas go about returning to their younger days. Hot tub plus alcohol plus four fellas up for a few days of reminiscing and you get transported back to 1986 to relive a night you would rather forget. The events from here on are more humourous- forks in the eyebrow, drunken speeches and brawls as well as the conception of the youngest and the revelation of his father.
The film features a very favourable cast including John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson and Clark Duke. As well as these, it also features actors from 1980s films such as Chevy Chase, Crispin Glover (Back to the Future) and William Zabka (Karate Kid). All are welcomed back to the big screen, but Chase as the Hot Tub repairman and Glover as a one armed hotel clerk are particularly notable for their onscreen humour.
Hot Tub Time Machine may not be the most innovative, the most inventive or the most hilarious film that 2010 has had on offer as of yet. One thing it does have is the inanity to actually charm its way into your life for its 100-minute duration. It will surprise you!
Michelle Moore