Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Not only is Hot Rod a really funny comedy, but it also has the distinction of being the first movie that I watched entirely on my iPod Nano. This movie is both a tribute to goofy 80’s slapstick movies, with heavy influence from the late Evil Kinevil. Without having any major star power, this movie bombed at the box office, but I think it’ll gain an audience on DVD.

Hot Rod stars Saturday Night Live’s Andy Samberg as a very driven young man who thinks of himself as a death-defying stuntman. The only problem is that his stunts never work out, and they usually result in him being hurt or embarrassed, or both. His father used to be a stunt tester for Evil Kinevil, so Rod wants to honor his father’s memory by doing stunts of his own. When his stepfather finds himself in need of a transplant, Rod begins to organize a huge stunt to raise money for this stepdad. The whole time, most people in town just think he’s finally going to kill himself with a stunt.

I grew up in the 80’s, and this movie looks just like the kind of ‘loser triumphs over all’ type movie that you’d often see from that decade. The movie is filmed like something from back then, and the soundtrack is filled with pseudo-metal tracks using a lot of keyboards. Retro is in these days, and that just makes the movie even funnier because it’s about a bunch of grown men who don’t want to grow up. When a girl (Isla Fisher) gets involved, it’s hilarious to watch them try to impress her. Rod’s crew reminds me a lot of the four nerdy guys from those cell phone commercials.

I read that the lead role for this movie was originally intended for Will Ferrell, but Andy Samberg does an awesome job instead. He plays Rod a lot like you’d have expected Ferrell to do it, and by that I mean he screams a lot and there’s tons of physical comedy. In just about every scene there is somebody getting hit with something, falling down, or something of that sort. It’s all very goofy and slapstick, but it all blends right in to the over-the-top nature of the story and its title character. I mean…the main character spends most of the movie running around in a jump suit with a yellow cape.

When I first saw the trailers for this movie, I thought it looked completely ridiculous. I also thought it looked like something I would like. I’m pretty weird when it comes to comedies because I’m picky about what is dumb and what is stupid, and what makes dumb or stupid be funny. I also usually don’t watch comedies that aren’t rated R, mostly because I don’t like the dumbed-down teen humor you find in too many PG-13 movies these days. That being said, I really liked this one.

If you liked the classic Savage Steve Holland comedies of the 80’s, then you’ll like this movie. Like Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer before it, this movie features lots of jokes, sight gags, physical comedy, and really funny characters. There’s even an evil jock in a sports car. Hot Rod is dumb as hell, but I still got a big laugh out of it.


Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older