There are many comedies that have defined my generation growing up and have shaped our sense of humor into the absolutely chaotic and nearly nonsensical taste that we all have. Akiva Schaffer's Hot Rod is one of these definitive films and I have yet to see another comedy with this amount of unparalleled ridiculousness. Samberg, Schaffer, and Taccone, infamously funny members of The Lonely Island, are completely perfect choices to star in and helm this film and seeing this amount of hilarious antics in a movie of theirs only show how much they have progressed as artists. And whether or not you believe this film can be considered art, it is undeniable that sometimes an audience just needs a plain, old, ludicrous comedy to fill the empty holes left in their hearts from the gutwrenching dramas that typically get more of the attention. The actual plot and cinematic aspects of this movie are quite mediocre but in the face of this much sheer absurdity, it does not matter, as this is an explosively fun ride of a film.
Inspired by the heroic actions of his late father, Rod Kimble (Andy Samberg) is a self-proclaimed stuntman who finds out that his stepfather Frank (Ian McShane) is falling ill and realizes that he needs to raise the money for his operation so that he can fight with him once more. Trying to earn the respect that he's always desired, Rod assembles his half-brother Kevin (Jorma Taccone), friends Dave (Bill Hader) and Rico (Danny McBride), and childhood crush Denise (Isla Fisher) to prepare for Rod's biggest stunt yet: jumping 15 buses. After watching this film, one could really chalk up its endlessly humorous qualities to how often it may come off as stupid or goofy. What I believe really makes this film stand out, however, is Pam Brady's script and her use of completely unexpected plot points and character developments. The sheer amount of gags that never return greatly outweigh the ones who do and this pandemonium makes for such an interesting breed of comedy. This practically leaves room for anyone on the cast or crew to make creative decisions in an almost improvised fashion. Rod falling down a mountain for an entire minute and a half is not just comedy at its most primal form but something that the audience would not really expect to go on for so long, which is what makes it so incredibly hilarious. In a way, this film comes off as a culmination of rejected SNL sketches that are thrown together into a simple plot and characters but that is what gives this film so much of its charm. One can easily tell that this entire film is a passion project and one that everyone had an absolute blast being a part of. Considered widely by many to be a cult classic at this point on par with the likes of Napoleon Dynamite or Nacho Libre, Hot Rod absolutely deserves the love that it receives.
It's very difficult to assign a rating to a film like this because it transcends the typical boundaries of comedy. Due to its unexpectedness and subversions of structure when it comes to getting its comedy across to audiences, it can be very subjective. I adore this film because of its ability to make me fall in love with the characters and root for each and every one. Samberg, Taccone, Hader, Fisher, and McBride all give great performances as their characters and their comedic talent combined never fails to deliver. While the film's cinematography by Andrew Dunn and editing by Malcolm Campbell are fairly generic, they help to add to this film's amateurish feel that makes this film come off as an unspoken mockumentary of sorts. These characters feel like people we already know and Rod's fight to save his stepfather is one that we will never stop rooting for. The humor of The Lonely Island is also totally represented and their influence can be seen in every scene of this film. While I think Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping is a fantastic satire of the music industry and had a bit more meaningful purpose than this film, Hot Rod undoubtedly cashes in on its absurdity to make one of the most entertaining and rewatchable films of the past few decades. This movie is genuinely one that comedy experts and filmmakers should be studying to see how such a basic premise can make a batch of characters and their fight for respect so hilariously compelling to watch.
Hot Rod should not work as a film by any means at all and really, it doesn't. But when you look past the insanity of this cast and crew's creative choices and admire the fact that a film like this can even get made, it makes the experience so much better. This is easily one of the best and most unforgettable comedies of the 2000s and the fact that it only helped to skyrocket Samberg's career is a blessing to us all.
My Rating: ★★★★★
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