Review of Hot Rod (1950) by John C — 11 Oct 2012

An underdog story about doing what you love and becoming a star. Hot Rod is a silly but satisfying low budget movie with all the right laughs.

Rod Kimble goal in life is to be a professional stuntman like his late father. Though Rod gets very little respect from people and his abusive stepfather, he tries his best. When his stepfather needs 50,000 dollars for a heart transplant, Rod and his friends try to raise the money to pay for the surgery through Rod's stunts. To begin, Rod wants to save his stepfather's life in order to kick his ass. That's just funny. And the stunts you see are all botched and hilarious to watch. Andy Samberg is very funny and a great personality for Rod, and Isla Fisher is always nice to see in a movie. I especially liked Ian McShane as the stepfather who, though dying, still manages to humiliate Rod on every level. Hot Rod is just a fun and silly movie that offers some great comedy and some great moments. The most of it may seem uneven in nature, but as a comedy, Hot Rod works on a great level.

The story takes place in a small town, and as such the quality of the movie doesn't look all that big. Hot Rob looks home video-ish, but it works just fine. The best parts are watching the botched executions for the stunts, which do include explosions. The small town, small home look is well crafted. Nothing too special when it comes to the cinematography, but the directing is pretty great. We see a nice variety of set designs and costumes, labeling the characters right away. The movie is small and looks small, but is effective and fitting for this small town hero story.

Great for a good laugh. Hot Rod includes some likeable actors, hilarious scenes, and at times tries to aim to be kinda emotional. It might not be a great achievement, but a comedic achievement it is. Hot Rod is funny and enjoyable.