Review of Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (2015) by George F — 20 Feb 2015

Mean-spirited and devoid of laughs, Hot Tub Time Machine 2 made me feel bad about watching it. Instead of the somewhat likeable, foul-mouthed characters that existed in the original, director Steve Pink gives us three of the worst characters I've ever had to spend time with. These are unlikable, disturbing human beings to be around, and instead of laughing with them, I was just disappointed in what I saw. Craig Robinson and Adam Scott are comic actors I really admire and enjoy, but in this film, I kept wondering what made them think these jokes were a good idea.

The script is pretty horrible, and none of the actors, other than Scott, bring enough charisma and likeability to make you want to laugh with them. There is so much misogyny and homophobia dripping from the jokes in the film, that I found it in bad taste. All of the 80s nostalgia and charm of the original are completely gone, and all were left with are rehashed jokes and terrible meta moments.

The film also looks pretty ugly, almost like a TV movie. There is nothing cinematic here, nothing to really laugh at, and characters that make you wonder why you should sit through the whole film. I was very disappointed.