#54 - Hot Rod

Directed by Akiva Schaffer
2007 Comedy
Rated PG-13

**

The whole time I was watching this movie I was trying to think of the right word that could pretty much sum up all my thoughts on it. Finally I have. Underwhelming. From the script, to the performances, to the jokes, everything could've been quite a bit better with just a little more work, and some different choices in a few places. Andy Samberg stars as Rod Kimble, an amateur stuntman, who, when his stepfather needs $50,000 for a heart operation, decides to jump fifteen buses to raise the money. While Samberg certainly shows that he has comedic chops and knows how to use them, I really don't think he's well suited as the leading man type. As for the rest of the cast, it's very hit or miss; while Bill Hader is (as usual) hilarious as Rod's friend Dave, Isla Fisher's over-the-top comedic talents are completely wasted having her as the straight-girl love interest. Also wasted are Sissy Spacek and Will Arnett, who don't have enough to work with, and Chris Parnell, who comes into the movie way too late. As for the script, the story is flismy and pretty dumb, but I wasn't expecting any more than that, as this is an SNL production. What I was expecting more of, however, was jokes; the biggest judge of whether a comedy is good or not is how much it makes you laugh, and this was certainly closer to the low end of the spectrum (though I will say the "Rod's Quiet Place" sequence was hilarious). Hot Rod is full of missed opportunities; with a little more work (or maybe an R rating?), they definitely could've had a modern cult classic in the vein of Wet Hot American Summer on their hands; instead, it's proof that, despite the greatness of his Digital Shorts, Samberg isn't infallible.