Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (2015) – Review

Where to watch Hot Tub Time Machine 2

2 1/2 Stars

In the littered dead-zone of comedic sequels Hot Tub Time Machine 2 arrives with little fanfare nor necessity. The funny bits are mostly due to the off-handed jokes that leads Rod Corddry, Craig Robinson and Clark Duke mercilessly lob at one another. This is a scattershot affair with the most thinnest of plot, stretched to the near breaking point on a few occasions due to some offensive and misguided segments. John Cusack is noticeably absent from the follow-up, granted he isn’t a recognized comedian but his straight-man approach added levity to the outrageous concept of the material. This sequel revolves around Corddry’s penis, in fact nearly every pivotal moment of the story involves the saving, using, or appearance of the man’s organ. It’s just that kind of flick.

Lou (Rod Corddry), is an aging rock star turned inventor and the namesake of the world’s largest internet search engine, Lougle. His lust for drugs, money, and his wife haven’t dimmed as the years have gone by. Neither has Lou’s distaste for his son Jacob (Clark Duke), who has been relegated to butler services and personal assistant duties for the billionaire elder. Meanwhile, Nick (Craig Robinson) is the most famous musician on the planet after an unprecedented number of hits, stolen from songs that other artists have written. Of course, this is an alternate timeline and nobody other than Jacob has any clue that Nick and Lou are thieves of other’s intellectual properties.

One night during a party Lou is shot in the groin by a disgruntled guest. The only way to save the man’s junk is by venturing into the infamous time machine that happens to be a jacuzzi. Instead of going into the past the men accidentally wind up further into the future. There, they encounter Adam Jr. (Adam Scott) a dim and socially awkward man-child who is the off-spring of Cusack’s character from the first movie. The four men set out to find the culprit behind Lou’s shooting and stop the event from happening.

Hot Tub Time Machine 2 reminds me of the comedies that use to play on late-night cable during the 1980s. There is nothing remarkable about this sequel, but it has a zany and raunchy tone that produces laughs along the way through its bumpy storyline. This isn’t the misfires that Hangover II and III were, or a bland retread like Dumb & Dumber To. Tub 2 is capable of becoming a home-video cult classic if the right audience finds its, preferably while surfing late night television.

Director: Steve Pink
Stars: Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Rod Corddry

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