So, I Was On Netflix: Hot Rod Review

Motorcycle Mayhem Centerpiece of Great Comedy

You know I have a hormone disorder!

Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, who form up the comedic band The Lonely Island, are probably among the bigger comedic voices running my generation. All of their SNL skits from "Dick In A Box" to "Motherlover" were instant viral hits, and even their non musical bits became quotable bits that were universally beloved in my age group. I myself loved these guys and their inventive comedic sensibilities that more than a whiff of Monty Python in it, but one big blind spot for me was the trios only major feature film; Hot Rod.

Oh man, Hot Rod is an insanely beloved movie for people my age. It's quoted endlessly, you'd have to watch it solely so you could understand what the hell my fellow students were talking about. I actually managed to miss it in my entire High School career, but I finally gave it a whirl and found it to be....surprisingly good. Thankfully, Samberg and his crew rely more on the absurdity and subtle visual gags that helped turned their viral videos into phenomenons instead of the racist and (mostly) bathroom humor that dominates the comedies of folks like Adam Sandler (who Samberg has teamed up with numerous times unfortunately).

One thing I actually wasn't expecting the film to be was a superb lampooning of conventional cinematic underdog tropes. Everything from the "idol isn't who he said he was" to the "montage of training" is sent up in a hysterical manner that makes use of the films two best strengths; subtlety and absurdity. The two aspects don't usually make appearances in a comedic landscape dominated by films like Identity Thief, but the movie makes hilarious use of both that manages to further the story and make you laugh heartily. I think my favorite instance of both absurdity and subtlety merging is a sequence where Rod and his stunt team do a typical slo-mo walk with an entire town walking behind them. Eventually, this turns into a massive riot, which Rod and his team narrowly escape from. A moment later, when they're discussing the terrible event, you can see Danny McBride's character (who is a major part of Rod's team) is lugging a huge TV with him. For some reason, that particular gag (and several others in the movie) just made me giddy with laughter.

Andy Samberg thankfully avoids making Rod some egotistical or gross buffoon. He's just a confident dude who wants to make his dead Father happy. Samberg knows just when to push the over-the-topness (I love his little run after his mom tells him particularly bad news) or to push the subtlety to humorous extremes, such as his low-key attitude later on in the movie. His little crew (consisting of Bill Hader, Danny McBride and Jorma Taccone) are perfect at not only bouncing off Samber but adding in their own dash of craziness to the mix. I had no idea one of my favorite actresses, Isla Fisher, was in this, but it's really good to see her in here, especially since she's allowed to deliver several jokes of her own and not just be some romantic object. Ian McShane is the last person I'd have thought to be in a movie from the guys who sang a song centering around threeways, but he actually does a great job (I know, I know, Ian McShane does great work, what a shocker!) And all that needs to be said about Will Arnett here is....BABE!!!!

I kind of wish the story flowed a little better in Hot Rod since sometimes it feels like it's in service of its jokes instead of an actual plot, but to be frank, even in the stories flimsiest moments, at least its supporting jokes that are actually funny and well made. These guys devotion to pulling off visual gags, slapstick, absurdity, subtlety and Will Arnett jokes underlies a sort of passion one finds rarely in American comedy. I'm really sad the trio never got to make more movies like this (Schaffer did go on to direct The Watch, which pretty much did everything wrong that Hot Rod did right), but at least we have this film. Hot Rod. One of the most creative and hilarious comedies in recent times that is deserving of my High School chums endless quoting and so much more.