The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
88
Studio and Year: MGM - 2010
MPAA Rating: R/Unrated
Feature running time: 99/100 minutes
Genre: Comedy
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 1.85:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, French Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Starring: John Cusak, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Lizzy Caplan, Crispin Glover, Chevy Chase
Directed by: Steve Pink
Music by: Christophe Beck
Written by: Josh Heald, Sean Anders, John Morris
Region Code: A
Blu-ray Disc release Date: June 29, 2010
"If I could turn back time."
Film Synopsis:
Get ready to kick some serious past with the wildly inappropriate unrated version of Hot Tub Time Machine. The outrageous laughs bubble up when four friends share a crazy night of drinking in a ski resort hot tub, only to wake up with serious hangovers in 1986 - back when girls wore leg warmers, guys watched Red Dawn and Michael Jackson was black! Now, nice-guy Adam (John Cusack), party animal Lou (Rob Corddry), married man Nick (Craig Robinson) and mega-nerd Jacob (Clark Duke) must relive a wild night of sex, drugs and rock-n-roll and try to change their future - forever!
My Take:
Hot tub time machine is a comedy about three close friends with less-than-fulfilling lives that get the chance to go back and do it all again. John Cusack, Craig Robinson and Rob Corddry star as Adam, Nick, and Lou, three disgruntled buddies looking to recapture a little of their youthful glory by returning to the Kodiak Valley ski resort where they used to party back in the day. Adam opts to let his live in nephew Jacob tag along for the ride. Upon arriving in town they see that the area and resort has fallen on hard times and is merely a shell of its former self. After a crazy night of drinking in the hot tub, they head out to the slopes and slowly begin to realize that they've been transported back to 1986 and into the bodies of their younger selves. Now they have to decide whether they should change their futures while wading through a sea of spandex, blue eye shadow and heavy metal hair bands.
I was pleasantly surprised by Hot tub time machine and found it to be better than anticipated. Don't get me wrong this doesn't achieve classic comedic status but if given half a chance its mix of lewd/crude and 80's nostalgia is quite a bit of fun. The script isn't pretentious and goes at the audience from an almost stupid funny angle while cleverly integrating over the top humor with well placed cameos, intelligent wit, and a corny but admissible message about second chances and giving back. There are some laugh out loud moments, plenty of fun 80's references (jeri curls, walkmans, leg warmers, Red Dawn), and a great mix of mid 80's music. Craig Robinson, Clark Duke and John Cusak each has their moment to shine but Rob Corddry is the scene stealing standout. Cameos by 80's movie icon Chevy Chase, William Zabka (Karate Kid's Johnny) and Crispin Glover as the one armed bellhop add to the fun. Hot tub time machine is typically silly, politically incorrect and undeniably formulaic but I got a kick out it just the same. If kept in the proper perspective this is a decent bro flick with a nostalgic and amusing 80's spin. Both the theatrical and unrated versions are included which is always welcomed. I opted for the unrated cut during my evaluation. It adds little more than a few additional scenes (which are pretty obvious) that don't bolster the film's content.
Parental Guide:
This film contains strong crude and sexual content, nudity, drug use and pervasive language.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Audio: 84
Video: 92
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Hot tub time machine comes to Blu-ray Disc from Fox featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 32 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 4 Mbps.
This is a reference quality Blu-ray offering from Fox that looks terrific in high definition. The video is razor sharp with a slightly edgy but otherwise pristine quality that is visually pleasing. Detail rendering is nearly flawless with lucid visual acuity and fine articulation that brings forth lots of subtle detail in the images onscreen. Colors are rich and delineated with oversaturated primaries and warm tonality that make them pop nicely. The extensive palette of secondary hues that represent the period colors featured in the story, appear vivid and warm. Flesh tones tend to be on the golden side with varying degrees of complexional separation among the cast. Boldly applied contrast and consistent black levels provide excellent balance during bright scenes containing mixed content. Shadow detail is good enough that I could make out plenty of discernible texture in the low lighting and dark backgrounds. The CGI based and green screen photography softened some shots but its effects are innate and fidelity remained unaffected.
The lossless soundtrack doesn't consistently engage the entire surround platform however it has moments where it energizes the room and reproduces the source elements with aplomb. Dialogue has definitive presence with refined vocal character and excellent room penetration. Dynamic range is very good which lends subtle distinction to low level sounds and gravity to broader ones. A large portion of the film has little need for this as dialogue, atmospheric ambience and musical enhancement is conveyed with little fanfare. However there are several sequences that engage the entire system to briefly produce entertaining and room filling sound that is measurable. This soundtrack isn't demonstration worthy but for a comedy it readily delivers a satisfying listening experience that didn't leave me disappointed.
Bonus Features:
Final Thoughts:
Hot tub time machine is typically silly, noticeably formulaic and falls shy of better genre films that deal with similar subject matter. However I must admit that it is undeniably entertaining thanks to an unpretentious script that strikes an amusing chord from an almost stupid funny angle while cleverly integrating over the top humor with intelligent wit that if kept in the proper perspective makes for a decent bro flick with a nostalgic 80's spin. Its debut on Blu-ray Disc from Fox features superb high definition video and excellent lossless DTS-HD Master Audio sound that compliments the picture quality quite well. The middling array of special features doesn't offer much but Fox has included both versions of the film along with a digital copy. I enjoyed this one more than expected and recommend that you give it a spin as well.
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS20 1080p High Definition Front Projector (Calibrated by Jeff Meier)
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100 16x9 Screen
Anthem AVM50v THX Ultra 2 Preamp/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-83 Universal disc/Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Oppo 970HD universal disc DVD Player (480i HDMI)
Philips TSU9400 Pro Series Touch Panel Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" Series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Furman SPR-20i Stable Power Regulator
Wireworld, VizionWare, Audioquest, Best Deal Cables - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package
The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
88
Studio and Year: MGM - 2010
MPAA Rating: R/Unrated
Feature running time: 99/100 minutes
Genre: Comedy
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 1.85:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, French Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Starring: John Cusak, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Lizzy Caplan, Crispin Glover, Chevy Chase
Directed by: Steve Pink
Music by: Christophe Beck
Written by: Josh Heald, Sean Anders, John Morris
Region Code: A
Blu-ray Disc release Date: June 29, 2010
"If I could turn back time."
Film Synopsis:
Get ready to kick some serious past with the wildly inappropriate unrated version of Hot Tub Time Machine. The outrageous laughs bubble up when four friends share a crazy night of drinking in a ski resort hot tub, only to wake up with serious hangovers in 1986 - back when girls wore leg warmers, guys watched Red Dawn and Michael Jackson was black! Now, nice-guy Adam (John Cusack), party animal Lou (Rob Corddry), married man Nick (Craig Robinson) and mega-nerd Jacob (Clark Duke) must relive a wild night of sex, drugs and rock-n-roll and try to change their future - forever!
My Take:
Hot tub time machine is a comedy about three close friends with less-than-fulfilling lives that get the chance to go back and do it all again. John Cusack, Craig Robinson and Rob Corddry star as Adam, Nick, and Lou, three disgruntled buddies looking to recapture a little of their youthful glory by returning to the Kodiak Valley ski resort where they used to party back in the day. Adam opts to let his live in nephew Jacob tag along for the ride. Upon arriving in town they see that the area and resort has fallen on hard times and is merely a shell of its former self. After a crazy night of drinking in the hot tub, they head out to the slopes and slowly begin to realize that they've been transported back to 1986 and into the bodies of their younger selves. Now they have to decide whether they should change their futures while wading through a sea of spandex, blue eye shadow and heavy metal hair bands.
I was pleasantly surprised by Hot tub time machine and found it to be better than anticipated. Don't get me wrong this doesn't achieve classic comedic status but if given half a chance its mix of lewd/crude and 80's nostalgia is quite a bit of fun. The script isn't pretentious and goes at the audience from an almost stupid funny angle while cleverly integrating over the top humor with well placed cameos, intelligent wit, and a corny but admissible message about second chances and giving back. There are some laugh out loud moments, plenty of fun 80's references (jeri curls, walkmans, leg warmers, Red Dawn), and a great mix of mid 80's music. Craig Robinson, Clark Duke and John Cusak each has their moment to shine but Rob Corddry is the scene stealing standout. Cameos by 80's movie icon Chevy Chase, William Zabka (Karate Kid's Johnny) and Crispin Glover as the one armed bellhop add to the fun. Hot tub time machine is typically silly, politically incorrect and undeniably formulaic but I got a kick out it just the same. If kept in the proper perspective this is a decent bro flick with a nostalgic and amusing 80's spin. Both the theatrical and unrated versions are included which is always welcomed. I opted for the unrated cut during my evaluation. It adds little more than a few additional scenes (which are pretty obvious) that don't bolster the film's content.
Parental Guide:
This film contains strong crude and sexual content, nudity, drug use and pervasive language.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Audio: 84
- Dynamics:
- Low frequency extension:
- Surround Sound presentation:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Dialogue Reproduction:
Video: 92
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Resolution/Clarity:
- Black level/Shadow detail:
- Color reproduction:
- Fleshtones:
- Compression:
Hot tub time machine comes to Blu-ray Disc from Fox featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 32 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 4 Mbps.
This is a reference quality Blu-ray offering from Fox that looks terrific in high definition. The video is razor sharp with a slightly edgy but otherwise pristine quality that is visually pleasing. Detail rendering is nearly flawless with lucid visual acuity and fine articulation that brings forth lots of subtle detail in the images onscreen. Colors are rich and delineated with oversaturated primaries and warm tonality that make them pop nicely. The extensive palette of secondary hues that represent the period colors featured in the story, appear vivid and warm. Flesh tones tend to be on the golden side with varying degrees of complexional separation among the cast. Boldly applied contrast and consistent black levels provide excellent balance during bright scenes containing mixed content. Shadow detail is good enough that I could make out plenty of discernible texture in the low lighting and dark backgrounds. The CGI based and green screen photography softened some shots but its effects are innate and fidelity remained unaffected.
The lossless soundtrack doesn't consistently engage the entire surround platform however it has moments where it energizes the room and reproduces the source elements with aplomb. Dialogue has definitive presence with refined vocal character and excellent room penetration. Dynamic range is very good which lends subtle distinction to low level sounds and gravity to broader ones. A large portion of the film has little need for this as dialogue, atmospheric ambience and musical enhancement is conveyed with little fanfare. However there are several sequences that engage the entire system to briefly produce entertaining and room filling sound that is measurable. This soundtrack isn't demonstration worthy but for a comedy it readily delivers a satisfying listening experience that didn't leave me disappointed.
Bonus Features:
- Theatrical and Unrated versions of the film
- (HD) 10 deleted scenes
- (HD) Theatrical trailer
- (HD) Theatrical promo spots - totaling 5 minutes
- Production: Acting like idiots
- Chevy Chase: The nicest guy in Hollywood
- Totally radical outfits: Dayna Pink - costume design
- Crispin Glover: One-armed bellhop
- Digital Copy Bonus Disc: Hot tub time machine
Final Thoughts:
Hot tub time machine is typically silly, noticeably formulaic and falls shy of better genre films that deal with similar subject matter. However I must admit that it is undeniably entertaining thanks to an unpretentious script that strikes an amusing chord from an almost stupid funny angle while cleverly integrating over the top humor with intelligent wit that if kept in the proper perspective makes for a decent bro flick with a nostalgic 80's spin. Its debut on Blu-ray Disc from Fox features superb high definition video and excellent lossless DTS-HD Master Audio sound that compliments the picture quality quite well. The middling array of special features doesn't offer much but Fox has included both versions of the film along with a digital copy. I enjoyed this one more than expected and recommend that you give it a spin as well.
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS20 1080p High Definition Front Projector (Calibrated by Jeff Meier)
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100 16x9 Screen
Anthem AVM50v THX Ultra 2 Preamp/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-83 Universal disc/Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Oppo 970HD universal disc DVD Player (480i HDMI)
Philips TSU9400 Pro Series Touch Panel Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" Series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Furman SPR-20i Stable Power Regulator
Wireworld, VizionWare, Audioquest, Best Deal Cables - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package