Occasionally, a crude comedy can deliver laughs. The original Hot Tub Time Machine was no masterpiece, but it sold the time-travel concept of reliving one’s youth and getting a second chance with plenty of clever ideas and great comic timing from its cast. With the exception of John Cusack and Crispin Glover, the rest of the stars have returned for Hot Tub Time Machine 2. Unfortunately, they’re saddled with a futuristic story that gives them far less material to work with.
Having used their previous temporal journey to cash in on future inventions, the sequel picks up with Lou (Rob Corddry), Nick (Craig Robinson) and Jacob (Clark Duke) wealthy beyond measure and living in indulgence. When Lou becomes the target of an assassin, the group decides to travel back and prevent the attack from occurring. However, they are accidentally sent 10 years ahead and must contend with solving the mystery while dealing with new and strange customs.
As mentioned, the cast includes some very funny people (that also include Adam Scott, Gillian Jacobs and Kumail Nanjiani). Several riffs and asides result in a chuckle here and there, including a humorous musical taunt mocking Jacob’s intelligence as well as an entertaining music video parody. There are also a few subjects that offer plenty of potential. These include a sentient killer car hunting down a rude passenger and a game show taken to futuristic extremes. But even when a concept ripe for laughs is introduced, it doesn’t feel as if the opportunity is fully taken advantage of.
Elements of darker comedy don’t work as well this time out either. While the previous film dealt with a disfigurement in an creative and amusing way, the grim moments in this production come across as more disturbing than funny. Maybe there is a funny way to shoot a scene that involves a violent seizure, but this movie doesn’t manage it. In the end, a couple of moments register as more cringe-worthy than hilarious.
But truthfully, the picture’s greatest flaw is the lack of an empathetic lead character. The movie follows its three (and eventually four) goofballs doing outrageously stupid and crass things. It’s funny for a time, but leaves little in the way of and emotional core or heart to the story. There is no real “straight-man” present and therefore no central character to draw us in. And of course, it’s difficult to feel much sympathy when the leads have not only forgotten the lessons learned in the first movie, but have sunk to even lower depths.
Even some of the time-traveling details don’t feel logical. In the end, everything about this effort feels rushed and haphazard. Sadly, while the excellent cast manage a smile here and there, Hot Tub Time Machine 2 isn’t anywhere near as effective as it could have been. In fact, it’s a sequel that doesn’t really need to exist. Your future would be better spent saving this trip for the DVD player.