Director: Akiva Schaffer
Writer: Pam Brady (written by)
Release Date: 3 August 2007 (USA)
Genre: Action / Comedy / Romance
Tagline: Smack destiny in the face
This is my first review of a theatrical release and I think it is an appropriate one. As my columns focus on either the overrated or the underappreciated, this film is a good choice since it falls into the latter category.
So I know what you’re thinking. “Hot Rod? Why?” We are in the final month of summer and there are plenty of blockbusters out there to see. Well, I’ve seen ‘em all. I’ve even been drug to several things I didn’t even want to see. So this weekend I actually hit a TRIPLE feature. I finally saw Transformers (hated it, but I’m sure there are plenty of reviews out there) and Bourne Ultimatum (good flick, on par with the others). And finally, I caught Hot Rod, and it was surprisingly my favorite of the three.
Now the fact that there wasn’t much I hadn’t seen was one factor, but the real motivation was that I am a huge fan of Andy Samberg and the boys from The Lonely Island. In case you don’t know, The Lonely Island is a comedy troupe consisting of the Dudes (Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva “Kiv” Schaffer). They started out producing shorts and music videos online. From there, they attempted to produce a couple of pilots that weren’t picked up. Finally, the trio was picked up by Lorne Michaels to work for SNL (Jorma and Akiva as writers, Samberg as a cast member). So you know, “Dick In the Box” and “Lazy Sunday”? You know, the only funny bits that SNL has done in the last five years? They’re the guys behind it.
Hot Rod is the first theatrical contribution from the Lonely Island. First, I have to say that this movie has had some of the crappiest marketing of any movie in recent memory. The movie is pushed as a Will Ferrell style comedy and it really isn’t. The trailers were so bad that I really didn’t even want to see the movie, but my faith in the Dudes pushed me forward. I’m glad that it did, because Hot Rod is a hilarious film that I’ll put up against Knocked Up as best comedy of the summer.
Hot Rod is the story of Rod Kimble, a goofball twenty something without a real job and who isn’t in school. He spends his days shooting off fireworks and dancing with his stepbrother (Taccone) and equally inept friends Dave (Bill Hader) and Rico (Danny McBride). His only real motivation is to be a stuntman like his father. Unfortunately, his stunts fail in Super Dave like fashion.
The plot kicks in when Rod’s stepfather, Frank (Ian McShane from HBO’s Deadwood), falls ill and needs surgery. You can guess where this is going. The plot is paint-by-numbers with Rod planning a big jump to pay for the surgery. However, it is the execution of the film that makes the plot work. First, Rod’s motivation to save Frank has nothing to do with love. Rod fights Frank on a weekly basis because Frank makes him earn his respect since he is just a stepson. Their interactions are great and McShane does an excellent job of bringing the laughs with the rest of the cast.
The best way I can describe Hot Rod is a cross between Talladega Nights and Napoleon Dynamite. It has the spoofing the sports movie aspect of Nights, but it also has the character development of Dynamite. The characters are all oddball losers with their own quirks. Jorma is great as Rod’s half-brother and the other Lonely Island guys make cameos including several hilarious moments with “honorary” member Chester Tam. Hader and McBride are equally great as Rod’s loser partners in crime. Rounding out the cast is Isla Fischer who is adorable here as usual, although her part feels a bit tacked on. Her relationship with Rod is one of the weaker aspects of the film, but there are still some funny moments.
The film is loaded with 80’s references, but not the obvious ones that you’d see in something like The Wedding Singer where they hit you over the head with them. The soundtrack is awesome and is loaded with songs that I forgot about until I heard them. A lot of my laughs came from just the songs that they picked for the movie. For example, the film contains a Europe song. That itself is funny. I love me some 80’s hair metal. But any other movie would have gone with the obvious choice, “The Final Countdown”. Not here, instead they go for the far more obscure “Rock The Night”.
The film slows down in the third act when the plot gets in the way, but I find that to be the case with a lot of comedies. But the first half of Hot Rod is comedy gold. I laughed almost constantly. So check out this hidden gem while you can. It did a dismal $4 mil at the box office this week, coming in at ninth place (horrible for a full summer release’s opening weekend). It is sure to be out of theaters quick, so catch it now and then blow off your friends when they act like they discovered it on DVD.
The 411: Hot Rod is a great comedy if you like your laughs a little more obscure than having Adam Sandler and Kevin James pretend to be gay. If you are a fan of oddball characters like Napoleon Dynamite, this movie is loaded with them. Add to this a rockin' but obscure 80's soundtrack and you got yourself a great Saturday afternoon matinee.
