Director: Steve Pink
Starring: John Cusack, Clark Duke, Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry
UK Release Date: 7 May 2010
Tardy Review Date: 16 February 2011
Format: Blu Ray
It's not big, it's not clever, but it's funny
This isn't the type of film I'd usually watch and I don't know what made me decide I wanted to see it. I love comedies, but I usually prefer them to be a bit darker or more intelligent. This is a film that tells you everything you need to know in the title and the trailer and it makes no pretence about being anything other than a silly, high concept film selling nostalgia and (hopefully) laughs.
I guess it was the obvious calls back to Back To The Future and the eighties nostalgia that tempted me, plus I'm a bit of a John Cusack fan so thought it would be worth a go. I fully expected to watch a promising opening quickly deteriorate into dumb jokes and naff dialogue, with maybe a smirk or two but no big laughs. What I got was a properly fun comedy that made me laugh out loud quite a few times and had a good mix of characters that kept the simple plot interesting.
The gist of it is, Cusack, Robinson and Corddry are three guys who were high-school friends in the eighties but have grown apart. They're thrown back together when Corddry almost kills himself by leaving his car running in the garage whilst he's sat in it, drunk. The other two are concerned it was a suicide attempt and take him to Kodiak Valley ski resort for the weekend to keep an eye on him and re-live old times, taking Cusack's nephew (Duke) with them. Then, surprise-surprise, they travel back in time to the 80s whilst they're sat in the hot tub.
The influence from Back To The Future is strong and a the presence of Crispin Glover, who plays a bellhop destined to lose his right arm, keeps that movie in mind. The film makers don't try to hide from the similarities, though, and elements like Robinson playing a yet-to-be-written song at a dance and Duke trying to ensure he is conceived before he disappears from existence are clear call-backs.
Corddry, as the hapless jerk Lou, is entertaining throughout and is key to keeping the laughs coming, as is the friction between him and Duke. Both are losers from different eras and they take their inadequacies out on each other. Cusack is the typical romantic figure who's chased status and success at the cost of his relationships, whilst Davidson is the flip-side as someone who's given up his dream in favour of settling down. In short, they all have regrets and this weekend in the past seems like the opportunity to take a second chance.
Even though many of the jokes, characters and plot are pretty obvious, I found myself enjoying this ridiculous adventure. Some of the humour is clearly tongue in cheek and there are a few jokes that come out of left-field. In fact I laughed more than I can remember laughing at a modern comedy for a while. It might be silly, and it's certainly not a clever comedy, but it's not stupid either. There are enough self-aware moments and winks at the audience to keep it fresh and even the plot isn't wholly predictable. It might not be a total classic, or the best film I'll watch this year, but I enjoyed it and I'll happily watch it again when it pops up on TV.
I guess it was the obvious calls back to Back To The Future and the eighties nostalgia that tempted me, plus I'm a bit of a John Cusack fan so thought it would be worth a go. I fully expected to watch a promising opening quickly deteriorate into dumb jokes and naff dialogue, with maybe a smirk or two but no big laughs. What I got was a properly fun comedy that made me laugh out loud quite a few times and had a good mix of characters that kept the simple plot interesting.
The gist of it is, Cusack, Robinson and Corddry are three guys who were high-school friends in the eighties but have grown apart. They're thrown back together when Corddry almost kills himself by leaving his car running in the garage whilst he's sat in it, drunk. The other two are concerned it was a suicide attempt and take him to Kodiak Valley ski resort for the weekend to keep an eye on him and re-live old times, taking Cusack's nephew (Duke) with them. Then, surprise-surprise, they travel back in time to the 80s whilst they're sat in the hot tub.
The influence from Back To The Future is strong and a the presence of Crispin Glover, who plays a bellhop destined to lose his right arm, keeps that movie in mind. The film makers don't try to hide from the similarities, though, and elements like Robinson playing a yet-to-be-written song at a dance and Duke trying to ensure he is conceived before he disappears from existence are clear call-backs.
Corddry, as the hapless jerk Lou, is entertaining throughout and is key to keeping the laughs coming, as is the friction between him and Duke. Both are losers from different eras and they take their inadequacies out on each other. Cusack is the typical romantic figure who's chased status and success at the cost of his relationships, whilst Davidson is the flip-side as someone who's given up his dream in favour of settling down. In short, they all have regrets and this weekend in the past seems like the opportunity to take a second chance.
Even though many of the jokes, characters and plot are pretty obvious, I found myself enjoying this ridiculous adventure. Some of the humour is clearly tongue in cheek and there are a few jokes that come out of left-field. In fact I laughed more than I can remember laughing at a modern comedy for a while. It might be silly, and it's certainly not a clever comedy, but it's not stupid either. There are enough self-aware moments and winks at the audience to keep it fresh and even the plot isn't wholly predictable. It might not be a total classic, or the best film I'll watch this year, but I enjoyed it and I'll happily watch it again when it pops up on TV.
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