Hot Tub Time Machine 2
A sequel to a movie that I’m still shocked got made in the first place. I’ll admit, I don’t really remember Hot Tub part 1 being a comedic goldmine, but I do remember being amused by it. That was mainly due to the sheer brilliance of having John Cusack’s character travel to back to the 1980’s and subtly appear like he just stepped out of one of his earlier classic films. Unfortunately Mr. Cusack had better things to do, so he’s not in the sequel….or is he?
There is a distinction between being clever and being funny. The creative team behind Hot Tub 2 are clever, and they swing for the jokes, but miss a lot more than they connect. The movie does have maybe a couple of genuine laughs in it, but not nearly enough for me to recommend it as a comedy.
This is a wanna be Back To The Future/Hangover hybrid, but I’d say it’s an amusing goof fest that could elicit a few smiles, more than a few groans, a probably one good laugh.
If you were a really big fan of part 1, then you’ll enjoy seeing this wacky crew get into another adventure because it’s a lot of the same jokes. If you thought the first one was “meh”, you’ll probably feel less so about this one.
*side note- I had to deduct a half star for shockingly bad editing in some scenes, and for an incredibly HUGE plot hole. I understand that it’s a movie about time travel and the rules don’t really have to make sense (it’s best not to think about it) but there is a set up here that I waited the entire movie for the payoff, and it never happened. I even stayed after the credits. Why would they introduce a plot point, literally ask the question on screen, and not even try to give an answer? I’m kinda mad about it.
There better not be a Hot Tub Time Machine 3!
