"Hot Tub Time Machine 2" Review

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Honestly, I was slightly surprised to learn last summer that 2010's Hot Tub Time Machine was getting a sequel, but not too shocked. I mean, we live in an age where everything gets a sequel, but why this movie? There didn't seem to be a dying need to make another one, especially after the first installment didn't fare so well which, again, shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone. It was a silly concept in theory, and while I enjoyed it for what it was, I definitely wouldn't constitute Hot Tub Time Machine as a "good" movie. That can basically be applied to this movie as well, but to a lesser extent.

Perhaps it's because I'm not a major movie buff and I generally look at the positives in things instead of bashing them, but I got a kick out of Hot Tub Time Machine. It was funny, though I can't say I've seen it since I first saw it five years ago (even though I have it on DVD). I figured the sequel would be equally if not more stupid, but I decided to go see it (if it's between that and 50 Shades of Grey, you really can't blame me). Similar to its predecessor, it was hardly a "good" movie and it won't be winning any awards, but for what it was, I liked it.

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With Back to the Future being hands down my favorite movie/trilogy of all-time, I'm a sucker for a film about time travel. The biggest difference between this movie and the first one, however, is that it's not as simple as going back in the past; rather, they travel to the future to stop someone from going to the past (or the present?) to kill the main character. It's every bit as confusing as it sounds, and if you have never seen Back to the Future 2, you probably wouldn't understand it at all. The convoluted plot certainly does the movie no favors, and even if you do get it, it doesn't really add to the enjoyment.

Thankfully, all four major cast members (including Adam Scott) were hysterical, or at least I thought so. Quite frankly, it all depends on your sense of humor. They use a lot of strong language that warrant the Rated-R rating, as well as excessive use of drugs and even some brief nudity (it's nice and all, but it's not as much as it was in the first film). Not everything about the movie had me laughing my butt off, but it kept me entertained, and for me, that was what I paid to see and all that mattered.

Given my low standards for the film, I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it funny, but even then it had its flaws. I, personally, didn't care for the absence of John Cusack; I thought they found a fine replacement in Adam Scott. However, the explanation as to why he wasn't there was poor. At one point, Nick, Lou and Jacob assumed Cusack's character was Lou's killer, and in pursuing him, they change direction and never mention him again. According to him, he was never even asked to be a part of the movie, which is awfully strange. Would a brief Cusack cameo (other than the picture shown of him) have killed them?

The humor was, as Rotten Tomatoes put it, "juvenile," but as a young adult male, I didn't mind much of it, though some scenes are strong and aren't for those with a different sense of humor. The ending, which I won't spoil here, was also very odd, and although I left the theater with a smile on my face (as I always do when leaving the movies), it definitely left something to be desired. Furthermore, I was glad Chevy Chase made a small cameo, but it was far too short for a guy that played such an integral role in the first film.

One may argue that perhaps the best thing about Hot Tub Time Machine 2 was how it was only an hour and a half. When I went to go see it recently, I was able to take a shuttle to the theater and take the next shuttle out; it was that short. I don't mind a long movie if it's good, but three hours can take its toll, especially when you have other things to do and you're constantly checking your phone to see when it'll be over.

The end credits tease the trio exploring our parts of time travel by going back to historic time periods, and similar to anything involving time travel, there's a lot more they could do with the series in theory. They could next take the hot tub to someplace else in time, but as I noted earlier with this film, there is absolutely no need to go there. The first Hot Tub Time Machine hardly well and this did much worse, so I'd be shocked if they opt to make another. That said, it was worth the low price of the ticket I paid to see it, but most others won't feel the same way, so I'd advise against seeing it.

Should you watch this movie? No.