Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

This was a very deep, spiritual movie that had many cosmic undertones to make it a cinematic masterpiece...I can barely write that without laughing. The title says about all you need to know about this flick.

Adam and Nick (John Cusack and Craig Robinson) come rushing to the side of their friend Lou (Rob Corddry) when the hospital thinks he attempted suicide. In an effort to make him feel better, they decide to head back to the ski resort that was party central in 1986. Tagging along is Adam's nephew Jacob (Clark Duke). When the four of them arrive, the town is a rundown mess that no one visits now. Low and behold, they get drunk and into a hot tub that (TAH DAH) sends them back in time. Now, they need to do everything exactly as they did in '86 in order not to disrupt what happens in the future. That means; one night stands, drugs, fights, drinking, musical performances, arm-detachments, etc. Can this foursome of destruction get everything done correctly and in time to make it back to the future?

Funny performances all around with a plot that you'd suspect from a movie named Hot Tub Time Machine. Craig Robinson was the MVP of the film. He had the best story and did the most with it. Props for the bits with Chevy Chase, Crispin Glover and 80s movie bad guy William Zabka. Not the best comedy of 2010, but solidly humorous and genuinely ridiculous. Go into this with a blank slate. Grade: B

2012 (2009)

Not quite sure where to begin with this. I knew what I was getting into when I sat down to watch this, but I'm just a sucker for cheesy disaster flicks...and this one ranks right up there in cheesiness. On the plus side, the graphics were very cool.

Jackson and Kate Curtis (John Cusack and Amanda Peet) are separated or divorced, probably divorced although they never say. While Kate seems to be moving on with a new boyfriend, Jackson is just struggling with life as a starving writer. While their seemingly normal life is going on, geologist Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) has discovered the Earth's core temperature is rising and it's only a matter of time before the crust begins to erode. In 2012, that day has come. Helmsley is trying to figure out where and when the disaster is going to hit. Jackson needs to get Kate and his kids out of harm's way and fast. How long can they possibly outrun it? I mean, it is the end of the world.

I'm not going to say I wasted 2 and a half hours of my life on this movie. I'm going to say that only 1 hour and 45 minutes were a waste, the rest was some mild fun. Overacting and green screens and nonsensical dialogue aside, the actors did the best with what they have. Ejiofor is a terrific actor and had an admirable performance. The rest, not so much. I'm not recommending this, unless you really have the time to spare.