Hot Rod

The fantasy here – dubious as life choices go, but great for a 90-minute comedy – is that you can stay 16 forever.

Hot Rod is a cousin to the comedies of Will Ferrell (for whom it was developed) with a younger skew, a kooky '80s nostalgia (complete with a pitch-perfect synthesizer score by Trevor Rabin) and a low-key amiability that keeps you rooting for Rod and company to triumph.

Wait until the best parts pop up on YouTube.

Sure, it's funny, mainly because it's utterly absurd and meandering.

Like so many movies from the SNL factory, there are perhaps 10 to 15 minutes of good, gag-worthy material here stretched out to interminable lengths. Or to put it another way: It's a very small dick in an oversized box.

Hot Rod might be called the poor man’s “Eagle vs. Shark” if “Eagle vs. Shark” were not already the poor man’s “Napoleon Dynamite.” It certainly lacks the conceptual purity and aesthetic integrity of the “Jackass” movies. In any case poor certainly describes the quality of the filmmaking.

The filmmakers lack any visual sense of humor and any talent for sustaining long-form comedy; the stunts have less wallop than a TV bloopers show and the Oedipal family slapstick goes around in circles, in more ways than one.

This comedy is not for everyone. You either get a few laughs, find it horribly dumb, or laugh through the entire thing. I am the last one. Many critics bash the film for the childlike actions/persona the main characters portray--however this is entirely on purpose. Many also tend to bash other comedies that rely on sex jokes or jokes that cross lines of comfortability. That being said, I find it odd that so many verified critics did not at least give Hot Rod credit for not doing so. Again, it is very slapstick much like Napolean Dynamite BUT with a story line. I would say the closest film to compare it to would be Nacho Libre--both slapsticks truly original plots. As a fan of many types of humor, I thought the film nearly perfected it's goal: a childlike and amiable protagonist, off-the-wall humor, and originality.

Hot Rod is a great movie for families with kids I would say at least 15 or above. This is an AMAZING movie. It has lots of comedy elements to make it a great movie. It has comedy, randomness, and adult/teen humor. I think it is a totally under rated movie and barely anybody went to see it in theaters but it has a great cult following and a strong and sturdy fan base. It is a great hilarious movie and i love it.

The script of Hot Rod seems more suited for a stage like Saturday Night Live, where it can freely indulge in illogical and foolish humour. However, when this style is brought to the big screen, the movie becomes awkward and lacks emotional investment, resulting in a comedy disaster.

The humor and scenes of Hot Rod feel kind of like an Adam Sandler dumba** flick but Hot Rod is different as to drag in more memories yet unforgettable scenes at the same time. The important part are the memorable Samberg scenes in which you can forget you hate these kind of movies and enjoy the ride.

It's filled with cheap laughs and slapstick humor, but for the most part it works. It will never be known as a great comedy, but if you are looking for a quick comedy fix I venture to say this one will satisfy most viewers.