the Informer

If you haven’t heard anything about this new comedy, or weren’t able to assume anything about the plot due to the film’s title, I’m going to bring you up to speed. Essentially it’s about a hot tub that takes a bunch of out of control men back in time. 

It may not sound very interesting but if you have even considered seeing this movie, I highly recommend you follow through with your plans because you are in for a shocker. Just think about the crew from “The Hangover”/”Old School” traveling back to the future, and that completely explains the vulgar comedy of the middle aged men along with their nerdy companion in “Hot Tub Time Machine.”

The unoriginal title adds to the stigma that this is just another not-so-funny comedy yet when exiting the theater, after everything was said and done, I was stunned by the fact that I actually enjoyed it. The absurd yet surprisingly original plot was intertwined with a heartwarming message. It all begins when the obnoxious, alcoholic Lou (Rob Coddry) almost dies from carbon monoxide poisoning so his longtime pals Adam (John Cusack) and Nick (Craig Robinson) decide to take him away for a ski weekend. Nick is under the total control of his wife and is discontent with his unsuccessful music career, while Adam just lost his girlfriend and is saddled with his loser, lackadaisical nephew Jacob (Clark Duke) living in his basement.

So the failing foursome take off for Kodiak Valley, once known for it’s abundance of sex, drugs and rock and roll, and what they find is nothing like what they were expecting. They are greeted by a ghost town; a rundown hotel and a very hostel tempered one-armed bellman (Crispin Glover) that started the hysterical laughter echoing throughout the theatre. With nothing else to keep them occupied they fire up the hot tub, accidentally spill a Russian energy drink on the controls and voila! They are suddenly transported back to 1986 where the party is in full swing. And with a glance in the mirror they realize they are transformed back to the high school versions of themselves.

The guys are warned by the mystifying hot tub repairman (Chevy Chase) that in order to get back to 2010 they have to do exactly what they did while they were there 24 years prior, and to alter their actions would throw off the course of their lives. With Jacob being the only one with a vested interest in seeing that all of the events play out the exact same to insure his future birth, the others set out to recapture their youth but inevitably change things due to their abundance of knowledge of the future.

Nick must get up on stage and perform with his former band, Adam must break up with his girlfriend and be stabbed in the eye with a fork once again, and Lou must get the crap kicked out of him by a jerk ski patrol dude. So they set out to do just that but end with slightly different results. Needless to say any further information would be spoiling the plotline, but by the end of the slapstick comedy the foursome realizes that their friendship wasn’t worth losing over the years.

They reunite and give the grand message that friendships are worth more than anything. If you’re looking for an enjoyable movie full of raunchy, anecdotal laughs then this movie will certainly fulfill your wishes. Just as the preview suggests, have a great time and “Get Tub’d” in a theater near you.