Poster for Paramount Pictures'

Hot Rod

Starring: Andy Samberg, Isla Fisher, Jorma Taccone, Sissy Spacek, Bill Hader

Directed by: Akiva Schaffer

RS: 1.5of 4 Stars Average User Rating: 3of 4 Stars

2007 Paramount Pictures All Movies

Andy Samberg is cool beans. At least he is on SNL, where he rocked that "Dick in a Box" video with Justin Timberlake. But his screen debut is out of the Will Ferrell reject pile. Just when you want Hot Rod to rev, it stalls.

Samberg plays Rod Kimble, a wanna-be stunt man with no talent for the game. Though his suburban mom (Sissy Spacek, underused) gets him, his stepdad, Frank (Ian McShane, overqualified), thinks Rod is dead wood. So why does Rod try to raise fifty grand for Frank's heart operation by doing a motorcycle jump over fifteen school buses? So he can kick Frank's ass. The joke is repeated so often that all humor evaporates. And Wedding Crashers live wire Isla Fisher is drained of personality as Rod's dream girl.

Samberg and his Lonely Island buds from SNL (director Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Raccone as Rod's brother) do have a knack for sight gags, such as Rod's punch dance and his extended fall down a hill. But the film's low-key Wayne's World vibe takes it only so far. I laughed, then I wished it was funnier, then I just wished it would end.

PETER TRAVERS

(Posted: Aug 2, 2007)

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Give us your review of
Hot Rod

Review 1 of 5

3of 4 Stars

I though this film was rather entertaining. It did feel slow at sometimes. For some reason, I'm not usually a person to laugh at movies, except it is very funny. The "Cool Beans" part of the film, had me laughing for at least two minutes. And then there was the scene with the guy that had a tattoo on his chest of a man urinating on a color TV set, and an FM radio, which had me laughing for a while, especially what he said about why the urine was going in two directions. Definitely not one of the top 10 best movies of the year. It is very stupid, what it's got a good heart to it, with a little sincerity that we don't see in comedies often anymore. It's also funny enough to make me give it "3 out of 4 stars."

Dec 8, 2007 10:59:54

Review 2 of 5

4of 4 Stars

this movie is funny as hell u got to be kiding me this is hilarious

Nov 26, 2007 16:30:23

Review 3 of 5

1of 4 Stars

Peter Travers is right on target...I went to this movie with a true Lonely Island nut, and she might have laughed out loud twice. With the exception of the "cool beans" sequence, there was little inventiveness in evidence, and even that was marginal. Wait until someone else rents the video..

Aug 9, 2007 08:13:35

Review 4 of 5

4of 4 Stars

Has Rolling Stone become culturally out of touch and irrelevant? Do they need a movie reviewer with a fresher sensibility? Me thinks so.

This movie provided some of the most bizarre moments, hilarious sight gags, and gut bustingly funny physical comedy all combined into one random genre-defying little film. You want to say it's a Jack-ass type film because there are some wipe-outs? Wait, no, then what's with the bubblewrap?. Want to say it's more like Napoleon Dynamite? Not so much, because Rod is a truly comic creation, not some stereotyped "real-life loser". Is it a character-driven Will Ferrell film? No, because what's with "Cool Beans?". Instead, the movie will defy and, its own way, mock all of those simplistic ideas, thank you, and invite you to play again. Which you will...because the movie is funny. This film is also full of funny quotes, and tiny, inspired moments that a hip (and hipster) audience will want to see over and over again (and probably will, on YouTube).

Strange and genre-deconstructivist, if you have preconcieved notions, conventional expectations, and you're not willing to pay attention, then you will probably still laugh at many of the jokes (but you probably won't have as good of a time). "Hot Rod" is a great little film that will become the cult classic that it deserves to be.

Aug 8, 2007 22:32:36

Review 5 of 5

1of 4 Stars

Review more movies Travers, where is your review for The Bourne Ultimatum, Joshua, Transformers, No Reservations, Rescue Dawn, Sunshine, Talk to Me

Aug 6, 2007 07:36:35

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