Hot Tub Time Machine 2: Movie
This movie has been getting a lot of flak, but I don’t see why. There were some pretty over-the-top moments, but there’s a lot of pressure on movies to go bigger and comedies seem to aim more for shock moments than just funny ones nowadays. I’m not saying that that pressure excuses those few moments (virtual sex and swollen testicle surgery for instance), but who isn’t doing this in cinema these days. Anchorman 2, Dumb and Dumber 2, both Hangover sequels and quite a few more are all examples. Even action movies do it. Just look at the Transformers sequels and the entire drawn out Fast and Furious franchise (they raced a plane in 6).
Maybe all of the hearsay gave me lowered expectations, but I certainly enjoyed this more than the ones I just named. They actually explored the consequences of the first movie and stayed close to the formula without repeating it. Seeing Nick’s guilt behind ruining so many careers was touching. He was pretty much the opposite of Lou, who doesn’t care about anything or anyone other than himself. He’s a complete sociopath and probably actually deserves the things that are happening to him.
The surprising thing is the respectful approach they have taken with time travel. They actually worked through the logic pretty well and adhered to their own rules. There are some very serious movies and literary text that don’t do that. That’s something I can definitely get behind.
It is a comedy though, not an exercise in philosophy. If you want a more serious time travel movie there are plenty to choose from, this one is for the people that want to laugh. There were a lot of big laughs and I didn’t mind Adam Scott being a replacement for John Cusack. He was a hilarious addition to the group. The ending was very 22 Jump Street-esque, but I had fun with it nonetheless. I regret having taken so long to actually watch it.
Jonathan Thomas Jones is a speculative fiction author and founder of geekhavenreviews.com. He has been passionate about all things geek for his entire life. See more about him at jonathanthomasjones.com and follow him on twitter @jtgloryjones.
