HOT TUB TIME MACHINE

Early in the movie, once the 4 main characters have come the realization that they've travelled back in time to 1986, Craig Robinson's (Darrell, from The Office) character looks directly into the camera and says, "It's like it's some kind of....Hot Tub Time Machine".  It's clearly meant to be tongue-in-cheek, and very clearly tells the audience - "Do not take this seriously.  We are not taking this seriously".

Complete with leg warmers, Miami Vice t-shirts, neon colors, and a Poison concert, the film plants us back firmly into the mid 80's (or at least Hollywood's version of the '80's).  Thanks to a faulty (wait for it......... Hot Tub), all 4 guys are thrown back 25 years.  Why?  Well, it's presumed so they can right all the wrongs that have gone wrong in their lives, except that they're told by a magic repairman (Chevy Chase, in a brutal, unfunny, unnecessary role), that they must replicate their decisions and actions from 25 years ago, and not change anything..... It's ok, it's not supposed to make sense.

What happens isn't important, but just know that it involves an illegal Russian energy drink, cocaine, a fork to the eye, and John Cusack walking around with a "I'm getting paid in cash for this, right?" look on his face the whole time.

The best gag in the movie involves a one armed Crispin Glover (Marty McFly from Back to the Future) and our waiting to see just how he became the one-armed man.  A slew of great 80's songs make up the soundtrack and work very well.

The movie stops short of being a direct parody of Back to the Future, though not by much.  The dials on the hot tub look like the Flux Capacitor, we hear a song from the future at a dance, the 'Biff' character is in place, and some future sports betting even takes place.  Crispin Glover is the icing on the cake.  Thanks guys, we get it.  It's like Back to the Future....yeah, we GET IT!

The movie is rude, crude, and quite possibly the dumbest thing I've ever seen.  Having said that, I must have laughed out loud at least a dozen times.  Sure it's stupid, but it lived up down to my expectations and was what I thought it was. 

If you think it looks stupid in the previews, just wait until you actually see it......... 2.5 out of 5 stars.