Great White Buffalo

Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)
Directed by Steve Pink
Produced by Matt Moore, John Cusack, Grace Loh, John Morris
Written by Josh Heald, Jarrad Paul
Starring John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Chevy Chase, Crispin Glover

Hot Tub Time Machine Trailer

Notes

• Some of the best parts in the movie were the George McFly scenes.
• WHOAWHOAWHOA I just made the connection. He was in THAT movie, and now he's in THIS movie. Cool!
• I thought I'd get a better kick out of the whole 1980's retro thing, but I realize I wasn't alive back then... so maybe when Hot Tub Time Machine 9 comes out in 30 years and takes place during the turn of the century, I SHALL LOVE IT.
• It was difficult to not find John Cusak's relationship with that young girl a leeeetle creepy.
• Chevy Chase did nothing.
• The end of Hot Tub Time Machine reminded me of the end of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III. If you saw both movies, YOU KNOW what I'm talkin' bout. (Both films also had 4 main characters in them too!)

Things I learned from Hot Tub

• If you change a few things in the past, everything in the future will be perfect.
• The word "awesome" was a hip slang word in 1986. (Wait, right?)

Recommended to

• Those who lived through the 80's.
• Those who want to see a decent R-rated comedy.

Not recommended to

• Anyone outside of the intended demographic. (So uh... the movie did what it wanted to do.)

Conclusion

FINALLY a solid comedy with funny characters and a funny script. Nothing was majorly surprising, especially since a few parts were riffed from other time traveling movies, but it's so hard to find a good comedy nowadays in the slew of films that Hollywood is churning out. With its mediocre downs and its aweseomely hilarous ups, Hot Tub Time Machine ended up being pretty much what I expected. If it exceeded my expectations, however, I would have definitely given it... two tubs up.

-five!-

You ARE stuck in Witchita!

It was either this or face-washing with undies.
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)
Directed by John Hughes
Produced by John Hughes
Written by John Hughes
Starring John Hughes Steven Martin, John Candy

Notes:

• This is essentially the story of torture (mainly mental in a comical manner).
• With Steve Martin being subjected to all this slapstick "uh oohhh" situtations, he kinda reminds me of an older Ben Stiller.
• Some of the 1980's stuff doesn't really hold up well in 2010. At least they didn't wear parachute pants (or too bad?).
• The movie ended with a freeze frame, which, again, seems very out of date. Sorta gross. TAKE NOTES, PRISONER OF AZKABAN...
• Any movie that ends with a karaoke version of Every Time You Go Away is a win for me.

Things I learned from Automobiles:

• Sleeping at an airport is probably better than spending 3 days with a stranger who almost gets me killed.
• Sharing bathrooms can suck.
• Steve Martin's has very nice white hair.

Conclusion:

This movie balances VERY steadily on the edge of hilarious goofiness and unbelievable ridiculousness, mainly due to the John Candy character. He falls so closely near the archtype of "he's annoying, but lovable because he means no harm", and that archtype REEKS OF BADNESS. Luckily John Hughes adds just the slightest hint of realism into the character that it prevented me from walking away. Besides, if I tried to not finish the movie, Steve Martin would look at me from the screen and yell "WELL EXCUUUUUSE ME!!!".