Hot Tub Time Machine (Directed by Steve Pink)

IMDB LINK

Starring: John Cusack, Clark Duke, Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry, Crispin Glover, Chevy Chase

He said:

This film has to have the worst title of any film we have ever reviewed. I almost want to knock it's rating lower solely because of the title alone. Despite the god awful title this film is actually a lot of fun through out it's 99 minute runtime. Helen and I both love John Cusack and have wanted to see this film since we first saw the trailer. I am happy to say that the film's content set a bar far superior to its title.

Steve Pink might not be a name that you recognize off hand but his name had been attached to quite a few films that you might have seen, Grosse Pointe Blank, High Fidelity and Accepted. (The first two also happen to have John Cusack in a leading role.) Pink is a brilliant director that doesn't pull any punches. This film has a nostalgic feel that is reminiscent to films like The Wedding Singer and Back to the Future.

This is a fantastic film that has a lot of well timed and executed jokes breathing life into the near dead R-rated comedy genre that films like Hangover are trying desperately trying to revive. One of the best running jokes in the film involves Crispin Glover that I can say was worth the price of admission alone.

This is a film that despite it's ridiculous premise and celebrating a decade most of us would rather forget, finds it's audience early and holds on to the very end of the film. Some of the comedy is crass, and at times gag worthy, but this is a film that is worth your time. I give it {{{4 out of 5}}}

She Said:

Sometimes you come across a film that is so wonderfully bad that you want to watch it over and over again. This film is tacky and crass but unlike many films it is deliberately ridiculous. It walks the line of over-the-top while keep a hand on the side of irony and I have to say I LOVE IT.

As James said the title may put you off a bit. But after the opening sequence you already get a sense of the tounge-in-cheek nature of this film. Much like The Wedding Singer this protrayal of the eighties is a hyperbolic pastiche. There are brick-like mobile phones, brightly coloured shell suits and an irrational fear of communism. It is meant to be loud both visually and in the plot development - and it does just this.

I also appreciated the Crispin Glover on-going gag throughout the film. Being a complete Back to the Future nerd (James too) we loved even just the presence of Crispin Glover. And it is always great to see him in a comedy role like this. The other actors were also great. Rob Corddry, who plays the obnoxious sometimes vile 'friend in need' is perfect in this role.

If you find it hard to watch a film and dettach yourselves from sense and judgement and allow the hilarity to consume then avoid this film. Otherwise grab it on DVD when its out, get some mates round, have a bottle of wine and some nibbles and just enjoy! I give this film {{{4 out of 5}}}

They said: A great film with less than subtle mocking of a terrible decade. Plus... John Cusack... come on! We give this film {{{{8 out of 10}}}}

KICK-ASS (Directed by Matthew Vaughn)

IMDB PAGE

Starring:
Aaron Johnson, Garrett M. Brown, Clark Duke, Evan Peters, Deborah Twiss, Lyndsy Fonseca, Sophie Wu, Elizabeth McGovern, Chloe Moretz, Nicolas Cage, Christopher Mintz-Plasse

He said:
In today's comic saturated film explosion it has become pretty common place to recognize names of heroes that not so long ago were barely recognized let alone well known. KICK-ASS is based on a comic book story, but this is not your atypical comic book film.

These costumed heroes are just average everyday teens, there wasn't a radio-active spider bite, or a super genius creating heroic robot costumes to save the day, no cosmic or Gamma radiation either, just kids asking the question do you need super powers to be a Superhero?

There are a lot of references to other comic heroes in this film (Nicholas Cage's character Big Daddy was almost completely based on Adam West's Batman sans polyester tights) there were countless references to everyones favorite neighborhood Spider-Man as well. (including an homage to the first film's initial leap off of a tall building) Comic geeks the world over will be boring each other with countless references for months I'm sure.

This film was fun and entertaining and admittedly at times slightly disturbing. It does feel a bit disjointed in the final act but it is definitely a film worth watching, I give it {{{4 out of 5}}}

She said:

Overall I enjoyed this film. I am not raving about it like a lot of other people I know who have seen it, but I did enjoy it. I liked the fact that this was comic superhero film meets quirky teen dramedy ala Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist or Juno. This isn't a film about superheros, it is a film about the effects of comics on average everyday life (loosely).

My reservation with this film comes in the third act where the irony ceases to be. The film-makers stopped making a point and being interesting about the effects of getting sucked into a make-believe superhero persona and began being about 'how much violence can we fit into this film before the credits rolled'.

I feel it could have stopped half an hour earlier and been much more impressive. But then I am not a fan of violence... because call me crazy but seeing children murder people doesn't excite me in the kind of 'I am loving this action' way.

It was fun to see a different type of superhero film... one I guess lacking the superheros! But I wish so much that it had heroes in this film, forget the super. Unfortunately it is less hero more misguided children killing people in the name of doing the right thing. I give it {{{3 out of 5}}}.

They said:
If you enjoy films like Watchmen and 300 this is definitely your cup of tea. we give it [[[7 out of 10]]]