Here’s the thing about dumb-ass comedies: some people dig this kinda stuff. They’re around – moviegoers whose comedic threshold is so low they’ll laugh at pretty much anything. You’ll hear them when you see Hot Rod, erupting in intriguingly raucous laughter every couple of minutes at the botched bike stunts, the fake porn moustache and maybe at the crazy jump cuts as the main character yells, ‘Coool beannnns!’ about a hundred times in a row.
So here’s what you need to know: Andy Samberg plays Rod Kimble, a wannabe stuntman who leads a crew of deadwood types stuck in small town USA. Though his friends respect him, Rod’s stepfather, Frank, thinks he’s king of losers and his stunts are a joke. When Rod finds out that Frank needs a $50,000 heart transplant, he sets out on a mission to jump over 15 school buses to raise cash for the operation. Why? So he can kick some stepdad ass and gain his respect once and for all.
Like it or not, that’s the plot, which is padded out with a series of sketches that repeat themselves, in various types and format, over and over as they lead you to the inevitable jump-over-bus climax.
Hot Rod’s got all the right ingredients: heavily caricatured roles, entertaining sight gags, and even Isla Fisher, token hot chick in a low-cut dress. But in the end, the film revs but never takes off. And though some of it might be funny, it still doesn’t mean it’s a great film.
