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Micro Review: Hot Tub Time Machine


Not the balls-to-the-wall laughfest I heard it was, but still one of the funnier films to come along in some time thanks to a good cast and wacky premise. The film relies too much on vulgar humour and gags aimed at people with a low IQ, but it is frequently very funny and even suspenseful: I cringed every time I saw Crispin Glover and his destined-to-be-amputated arm. In fact, the film is funniest when it doesn't try too hard. And I don't know who the drunk guy was in the bear costume, but rock on!! A Good review from The Basement on this one.
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  1. Michael StewartJuly 2, 2010 at 10:03 AM

    I didn't have a lot of high hopes for this movie, even though I do enjoy John Cusack's work. I was expecting this movie to be a Wayan's Brothers send up of the 80's (and I'm NOT much for the Wayan Brother's movies).

    I was pleasantly surprised, by this movie, though.

    The humour starts out with the more dry, sarcastic, darker approach that many movies after the 90's started taking, then switches over to the sort of humour that you'd find in a movie from the 80's. There is even a sub-plot that you'd find in many classic 80's movies.

    The characters, though not really deep to start with, are developed, and likable people. The story doesn't bog down, and allows each actor to display their talents in regard to their particular character. The jokes are delivered with fun, and gave me the chance to chuckle and laugh.

    Chevy Chases later films my not have the comedic power his early work had, but I think he did fantastic in his small role... besides, it's wouldn't be a true 80's comedy without a bit of Chevy Chase in it. It was also fitting that Crispin Glover would be in a movie about time travel back to the 80's since he was in THE classic 80's time travel movie, "Back To the Future".

    This film, though flawed from the rather excessive use of the "F"-Bomb still gets a solid "Good" rating from me.

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