HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 2 DVD (2015)

SYNOPSIS: When an epic party goes hilariously wrong, Nick and Jacob fire up the hot tub in order to save Lou. After unexpectedly landing in the year 2025, they meet Adam Jr and team up on a "hysterically funny and completely insane" mission to fix the present. 

MOVIE REVIEW:

You can practically smell a steaming pile of turd miles away. In the case of Hot Tub Time Machine 2, ten minutes into it, you know why this is a dud.

Five years after they stumbled into a mysterious hot tub time machine in a ski resort, buddies Lou Dorchen (Rob Corddry), his son Jacob (Clark Duke) and Nick Webber (Craig Robinson) are now stinking rich and famous, a far cry from their past miserable lives. When Lou is shot in the dick at his party, the trio decides to go back in the time hoping to stop Lou’s killer. But the mysterious time machine has a plan of its own and the trio is sent to the future instead. 

Though both original helmer Steve Pink and writer Josh Heald are back for a second outing, the premise is so scattershot and silly that it’s a hot mess from start to finish. The first instalment was about four guys getting back to the past to make things right. No doubt it was often gross and crude, it has a lot of heart to it. In part 2, it’s simply one homophonic joke one after another courtesy of Rob Corddry’s character, a douchebag/bastard/nincompoop that no one probably cares. At least John Cusack’s Adam balances out the raunchy material in the original. But we heard his paycheck was a little too big for MGM/Paramount to foot though it doesn’t stop the filmmakers to come up with a crap excuse why Adam is missing.  

Instead we have Adam’s son, Adam Yates (Adam Scott) joining the gang in search of Lou’s killer. Yates instantly becomes the butt of all the gags including a VR anal sex sequence and a swollen scrotum as a result of a drug overdose. You got to pity Scott for taking on this absolutely miserable role and we hope at least he gotten a decent paycheck for his time. Craig Robinson’s Nick Webber actually has a far more worthy tale to tell but he is often overshadowed by the irritable Lou Dorchen. The mystical time machine baron played by Chevy Chase returned for a few unnecessary minutes of screentime if you must know.

Making the viewing experience even more miserable is how cheap the entire production looks. Hot Tub Time Machine wasn’t that all polished still it looks way way better than part 2. The production team tries to pass off Smart car as smart cars. Wow, how genius is that? Hot Tub Time Machine 2 in short is a cash grab attempt gone wrong. Made on a modest US$14 million budget, it only managed to earn back US$12 million. Dump this turd.  

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Lasting 5 minutes, The Making of Hot Tub Time Machine 2 feature the filmmakers and main cast members talking about making the movie. The Future as Seen from the Tub! brings us more details about the silly technologies seen in the movie. Lastly, 4 Deleted Scenes/Extended Scenes and 8 minutes of rather unfunny Bloopers and General F%#! Ups by the Cast round up the DVD extras. 

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Imaging and detailing looks presentable though you can’t shake off the feeling that the entire movie looks cheap. At least the visual is never compromise. The DVD features a Dolby Digital 5.1 allowing occasional surround ambient effects and sonic soundtrack. 

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee