Hot Tub Time Machine

[Beate]

WIQ got pretty full and we started 10 minutes late, must have had technical problems - we got Martin Freeman talking about pirate copies at least 3 times, sound only! Then when it started they didn't turn the lights down! I went out to tell them but it took them another hour to actually do it. I think I missed a poo joke while I was out.

This was rude, crude and puerile. And in a strange, perverse way I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank God, because I hated The Hangover. But John Cusack is in it, and any film with John Cusack can never be really truly shit, right? Loved the 80s music and clothes, loved the jokes (apart from some really yuk ones), loved the squirrel, loved Crispin Glover trying to lose his arm, loved how it all worked out at the end and John Cusack ended up with... whoops, spoiler.

"Which colour is Michael Jackson?"

8/10

[TheBoySeggy]

Hmm, so I cancelled playing football to watch this? Shame on me!

I watched this at Shaftesbury Ave. They held us in the queue until after 6.30, the film eventually starting at 6.45.

The poster billed this as Hangover meets Back to the Future. It wasn't fit to lace the boots of The Hangover, and the only resemble to BTTF was Crispin Glover.

Apart from the odd chuckle, this was very disappointing, a sentiment shared by my 2 friends I was with. The jokes were what American Pie fans (which I am) would appreciate... except they didn't work in the same way.

A generous 3/10

[Diane65]

It was about 80% full at Didsbury and I found it stupidly funny, I remember all the 80's songs and fashion including having a purple jumpsuit (yuk). 7/10 from me even though not really my humour but for some reason I enjoyed it.

[redgrant]

Saw this at Shaftsbury Avenue as well. It was reasonably entertaining, but not nearly as funny as The Hangover (it's obvious comparison).

John Cusack seems to likes his 80s pastiche/nostalgia (Grosse Pointe Blank and all that)

[kevinknapman]

Saw this in a slightly out of the way Feltham after the Hammersmith screening was cancelled. The film itself was incredibly stupid but it doesn't really pretend to be otherwise. What makes this movie work is the presence of John Cusack. With him it becomes more than just the dumb comedy it clearly is. It becomes an homage to the kinds of films Cusack himself made in the 80's. I get very nostalgic for the likes of 'Better Off Dead' and 'One Crazy Summer', two 80's Cusack movies I saw on video as a teenager. The film makers clearly had these movies and many like them in mind whilst making this, so I felt very much at home. There were loads of hilarious moments (Including a running gag involving Crispin Glover almost losing his arm, Rob Corddry's Gary Coleman line and Craig Robinson's drunk phone call to his future wife's 9 year old self) and admittedly a few duds (Chevy Chase was wasted, can't actually remember him doing anything funny) but overall this was a fun movie. No idea how this will play with younger audiences for whom the 80's mean nothing but for anyone who grew up in this era there should be plenty here to amuse. As long as they don't mind a movie that revels in it's own stupidity.

[ejwrank]

My 19 year old son and I walked out after 30 minutes -- truly awful.

[soonforgotten]

My favourite part was when Nick says how it "must be some kind of... Hot tub time machine" and stares dead eyed at the camera. That cracked me up. Good to know they were treating this as ridiculous as it really was. A lot of this was hit or miss. And when it missed, it missed badly. After the first few minutes, I was thinking that it was gonna be pretty lousy but it steadily improved. I thought it was strange how some of it could be so clever and other parts so brain-dead. Overall, it was a fun movie but nothing mind-blowing. And I agree about Chevy Chase, he was wasted and given nothing funny to work with and damn did he get old.

6.5/10

[Beate]

Saw this in a slightly out of the way Feltham after the Hammersmith screening was cancelled. The film itself was incredibly stupid but it doesn't really pretend to be otherwise. What makes this movie work is the presence of John Cusack. With him it becomes more than just the dumb comedy it clearly is. It becomes an homage to the kinds of films Cusack himself made in the 80's. I get very nostalgic for the likes of 'Better Off Dead' and 'One Crazy Summer', two 80's Cusack movies I saw on video as a teenager. The film makers clearly had these movies and many like them in mind whilst making this, so I felt very much at home. There were loads of hilarious moments (Including a running gag involving Crispin Glover almost losing his arm, Rob Corddry's Gary Coleman line and Craig Robinson's drunk phone call to his future wife's 9 year old self) and admittedly a few duds (Chevy Chase was wasted, can't actually remember him doing anything funny) but overall this was a fun movie. No idea how this will play with younger audiences for whom the 80's mean nothing but for anyone who grew up in this era there should be plenty here to amuse. As long as they don't mind a movie that revels in it's own stupidity.

Ha ha, couldn't agree more. Don't think I saw the two John Cusack films you mention (will search them on Lougle, LOL) but does anyone remember The Sure Thing? Loved it when I was a teenager. I laughed so much at the phone call to his 9 year old wife! Good grief, that was Chevy Chase? He looked a 100 years old! It was so funny to see how it slowly dawned on them that they had gone back in time: everyone smoking inside, Ronald Reagan and Alf on TV, people listening to walkmen etc. And when the son later talks to a girl and tries to get her contact details "Can I text you later? Will you be online?" and finds it very exhausting not having these possibilities, you just laugh and think, well, it did work SOMEHOW back then!

[pcRock]

Watched this yesterday at Wood Green. The screening room was about half full or even less to my surprise.

I enjoyed the movie, but I expecting it to be even funnier. I liked the references to some other movies. I think if you weren't around in the 80s, you won't enjoy it that much. I love "Back to the Future" and was amused that several elements were taken from there (even George McFly). 7.5/10

I saw in imdb that it was Craig Robinson (Nick in the movie) that came up with the Michael Jackson joke and the "it must be some kind of...hot tube time machine" line.

[Cortone]

Saw this at Castleford, where again they checked IDs before people were allowed in. Even so, it was almost full, with only a few seats left free.

Plain stupid, and full of 'boy jokes' (poo, sick, etc.) from the start, and only John Cusack (and a reminder of the bad 80s hair and clothes) for the girls! Jokes that worked for one age group did not work for others.

I don't think anyone walked out, but I don't think there was a buzz from being enjoying the film. I heard some people on the way out asking "what did you think of it?", and at best, there was muted praise.

Not one of my top films - 4/10.