Film #213 - Hot Rod (2007)
It’s always a crap shoot when you go to see a free preview, so I had no expectations when I went to see Hot Rod. I suppose that was to it’s benefit. Expecting nothing, I was pleasantly surprised to find a pretty well crafted film that provided a higher than expected level of laughs, as well as very little in the way of annoyances.
Hot Rod tells of Rod Kimble (Andy Samberg), a young man who has grown up trying to emulate his daredevil father by engaging in all kinds of small-scale stunts in and around town. Simultaneously, he is trying to earn the respect of his step-father Frank (Ian McShane), a belligerent man who Rod thinks will only accept him if he best him in personal conflict. Rod’s dreams of one day beating the crap out of his stepfather are dealt a blow when it is revealed that Frank has a heart condition and not long to live. Rod decides to performa a huge stunt, raise the money for Frank’s heart transplant and then beat the crap of him. The rest of the film deals with the ups and downs of Rod’s plans, all while he tries to win over Denise (Isla Fisher), a girl he grew up with who is currently engaged to a weasel named Jonathan (Will Arnett).
The film is much better than the plot synopsis would suggest. While the situations may not be that inventive, screenwriter Pam Brady and director Akiva Schaffer have carved out an interesting group of characters that they have instilled with an appropriate level of depth and humor.
Credit must go to the filmmakers, since none of the performances are that memorable. The only one that really stands out is McShane, who uses all the gravitas earned in his time on Deadwood to sell Frank as a man Rod would respect enough to want to beat up. Sissy Spacek has a nice little part as Rod’s mother, but gets very little to do, yet does it well. Thankfully, only Arnett’s Jonathan seems unnecessary, as his entire subplot is a waste of time. We know Denise will end up with Rod, so why bother spending screentime on it that could be used elsewhere?
The film moves along at a decent pace and doesn’t allow itself to wallow in the typical self-pity sequences too long. Again, I would like to commend the film for escewing anything really irritating like the “gross-out” humor that is so “popular’ these days. There’s a bit, to be sure, but it is mostly confined to the extremes of Rod’s injuries. It all resolves itself quite satisfactorily and with a reasonable bang.
Hot Rod is not going to be the next Old School or Anchorman. It’s not going to launch Samberg to another level of stardom. (He should have hooked up with Judd Apatow if he wanted that). But it’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a nicely done comedy with plenty of good laughs and a timelessness that means it won’t seem dated in five years. It’s also something he can build on, perhaps finding that real breakthrough next time.