Hot Rod Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
Self-proclaimed stuntman Rod Kimble (Samberg) is preparing for the jump of his life. Rod plans to clear fifteen buses in an attempt to raise money for his abusive stepfather Frank's life-saving heart operation. He'll land the jump, get Frank better, and then fight him, hard.
| Andy Samberg | Rod Kimble |
| Jorma Taccone | Kevin Powell |
| Isla Fisher | Denise |
| Bill Hader | Dave |
| Danny R. McBride | Rico |
| Ian McShane | Frank Powell |
| Sissy Spacek | Marie Powell |
| Will Arnett | Jonathan |
| Chris Parnell | Barry Pasternak |
| Brittney Irvin | Cathy |
| Mark Acheson | Homeless Guy |
| Jesse Haddock | |
| Ryan Hess | Construction Worker |
| Andrew Moxham | Sullivan |
| Donavon Stinson | Sandwich Dude |
| Akiva Schaffer |
6.50 out of 10 (0 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Do not waste your time watching this movie.
posted on 29 Aug 2009Quick summary: do not waste your time on THIS movie. I could end this review here, but I'll go on with some details just in case you really want to know why I say that.
You are still reading this?! What, do you have relatives that worked on this crap fest or are you just a glutton for punishment?!?! Well, here goes. First, would whoever is responsible for keeping Lorne Michaels and the crew of weak-talents at SNL away from making movies please go out and round up all of the copies of Hot Rod that were released so they can be destroyed and put us all out of our misery?!? (While they are out there they could likely round up a bunch of other bad movies by Michaels with his SNL friends at the same time...)
What a waste of HD DVD disc materials and other resources. I chuckled a few times at this movie, but really it's been a while since I've seen anything that bad. Perhaps back to the Norbit time frame. Horribly bad.
Sissy Spacek and Ian McShane (whom I really like as an actor and would normally give the benefit of the doubt to) should be ashamed of wasting their talent on this sort of crap. I guess this movie is part of why Spacek did a recent Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie -- it's penance for this piece of trash.
If you really want to see this movie, consider Unbox on Amazon or some other rental method so you won't be sorry later that you actually bought a copy. Even if the price was dramatically discounted, I couldn't justify spending money on buying it (I would say that someone would have to pay me a king's ransom if they wanted me to buy and keep this thing, and even then I would probably eject it from my collection as soon as any contractual obligation to keep it would be gone).
Suffice it to say that I want the 90 minutes plus that I wasted on watching this pathetically boring and bad movie back.
I suppose I should have known well enough in advance. The reviews weren't great, the movie didn't take in that much money at the box office, and yes, it was a Lorne Michaels movie with SNL alums in the major roles. That would be what some people call a clue. Well, I figured it couldn't be all that bad. No, it wasn't all that bad -- it was worse. It was lame. I've seen bad, and then again I've seen bad. This was at the lowest end of the scale.
Absolutely Hilarious
posted on 25 Aug 2009I was not expecting much from this movie, aside from a friend telling me it was funny. I laughed from beginning to end. You'll think this movie is hilarious if you like the Anchor Man/Napoleon Dynamite/Dumb and Dumber comedies. If you like the above comedies then this movie is for you. It has so many quotes will never tire of saying them. Also, don't watch it with someone who doesn't enjoy that type of humor as it will make it less funny. My advice to you is to Stunt it!
Is this what America's humor has come to?
posted on 24 Aug 2009SNL is pretty funny but people who say this is like watching a Short skit on SNL is a little dumb minded. It's NOTHING like SNL, it's just a stupid piece of crap.Andy Samberg tries to act like Jon Heder but fails. Although Jon Heder is only funny in Napoleon Dynamite Andy tries his hardest and people think he's funny.Only funny people in the movie were Danny McBride and Bill Hader. The only part that was decently funny with Andy was the pool part.They could have made the "Quiet place" a lot better if they didn't make the falling scene 3 freaking minutes.The part where he's pronouncing his H's more is retarded. They try going with it too long and half the time it looks like Andy is laughing while he acts...he's a horrible actor and doesn't deserve to be in a movie.This movie is a joke and is for the simple minded people with the brain of a 10 year old level of comedy. Which is about half the United States.
Not for everyone
posted on 19 Aug 2009holy canoli what could I say about this movie that would do it justice. It is HILARIOUS! I nearly died laughing. That being said, it's not for everyone I watched it with two other people who stared at the screen slack jawed. They didn't get why I thought it was so funny. They thought it was stupid. I didn't understand how they couldnt seen the sheer awesomeness of it. So watch cautiously if you like Adam Samberg you'll love this movie.
Brainless is the last word to describe the lonely island guys
posted on 14 Aug 2009I've come across many people like the previous reviewer in my time - calling things dumb, brainless, witless, etc. It is because of people like that that beautiful comedies like STELLA were cancelled and others (AESOMETOWN) never even aired. And yet, somehow this comedic style persists. I believe that it is because the humor or not, in fact, brainless, but takes wit to another level by making fun of clichés and reminding us all that at one point in all of our lives, before we were conditioned to laugh only at black & white jokes or reasons why dates never work out, poop was funny! I mean, come on, its disgusting! I think that if certain people were to pull the stick out of their.. behinds, and come off of their high horses, they may find a certain beauty in simplistic humor that makes us think twice about everything else we laugh at. In short, chill out and stop being so lame.-The New Generation of Comedy
This film was so bad...
posted on 12 Aug 2009I got up and walked out. And I saw it on an airplane. OK, I didn't literally walk out, but I unplugged the head phones and stopped watching. Sitting in total boredom during the flight was preferable to this feeble attempt at a film. I had just seen the predictably asinine romantic comedy "License to Wed" on a flight the week before and thought that it couldn't get any worse than that. It most certainly did with "Hot Rod". Amateurish best describes the film. It looks like what a film might look like if a group of high school kids got together and made a movie. I stopped watching after about 30 minutes and there was nothing even remotely humorous in that time. Based on the silence on the plane and comments from the few who actually listened to the entire film, nobody else on the flight found anything amusing either. The rave reviews found here for a film so obviously flawed and deficient are extremely suspicious. I suspect many of the reviewers are the same person, likely involved in the film. Check the reviewers history and see how many have never written another review for the answer. The rest are mind dead teens who think "Snakes on a Plane" was a great film.
Hot Rod Movie Review
posted on 10 Aug 2009Easily reaching new heights of absurdity, Akiva Schaffer's debut comedy Hot Rod blends ridiculous slapstick, obnoxious antics, and random outbursts of genius, though much less of the latter. Moving into done-before plot territory, but counteracting such familiarity with heavy visual comedy and inserted lunacy of a repetitively jarring nature, Hot Rod seems destined to jump only half of the school buses it sets out to.Rod Kimble (Andy Samberg) is driven to be a great stuntman by the legend of his deceased real father and the burning desire to be respected by his stepfather Frank (Ian McShane). When Frank falls fatally ill with the only viable cure being a 50,000 dollar heart transplant, Rod and his team of misfit colleagues, joined by childhood friend and love interest Denise (Isla Fisher), determine to perform a harrowing stunt to raise the money.So many ideas of comedic direction surface in the former SNL collaborators' film that the few truly creative ones get bogged down by the influx of ill-conceived opposites. For every unexpectedly clever farce, two ridiculously immature concepts rise up to drown out the brief moments of ingenuity. The slapstick throughout works as intended, but parallels an oft-repeated style of repetitive silliness that can only go so far before becoming tiring to the senses. Several segments such as the "quiet place" scene and the team member introduction to Denise offer a fresh take on repetition, but by the time "cool beans" rolls around we're not so impressed. The most original aspect of Hot Rod's humor comes from the extreme randomness of certain snippets of dialogue and unrelated inserts that neither serve to enhance the story nor relate to the proceedings they interrupt. Pitting personified grilled cheese sandwiches against tacos, singing to stuffed animals, and inspirational marches turned rioting in the streets mark some of the highlights of the bizarre inventions unsystematically imbedded for quick laughs and shock value. As the film progresses it's hard to wipe the smirk from your face (unless you abhor immaturity), but too seldom is the urge to laugh out loud presented.The acting matches the movie's humor and while Samberg clearly gets the best lines, every so often one of the supporting characters will steal some spotlight. Co-creator and actor Jorma Taccone plays off the lead's childishness quite admirably and Isla Fisher provides a few scenes of slapstick assistance and verbal mockery, though mostly she just lends her sex appeal. If you attempt to focus on more than that you'll notice her Australian accent slipping through her speeches. The other two members of Rod's crew rarely offer anything in addition to what's expected of their imbecilic characters and any physical comedy performed is out staged by the more charismatic Samberg. Anyone younger than the film's stars will likely find amusement in the overly immature parody, but those seeking intelligent humor should look elsewhere.The darker wit and deep irony that juxtapose the asinine laughs in blockbuster comedies like Wedding Crashers or Old School is unfortunately absent in Hot Rod, and no moral fiber resides underneath the physical spectacles and horseplay. We care little for the well-being or success of the protagonists because their motives seem empty in comparison to those of the aforementioned comedies. Without fully fleshed-out characters the trials and tribulations they undergo feel weightless and insignificant, and we're left to bond with the juvenile jocosity, a task not easily accomplished by the intellectually proficient.Hot Rod starts painfully bizarre, progresses with sporadic random comedy, and concludes with resonating immature slapstick. While all of these elements provide a profound impact on the overall presentation of the film, they rarely mesh to form anything truly innovative or unexpected from the genre. What works does so surprisingly well, but unfortunately too often the movie makes us feel as if we've stumbled into the middle of a joke, and no matter how funny the punch line is, it's only half as effective as hearing the whole thing. To lower a pun to an equivalent level of maturity, I'd have to say that this Hot Rod cools off and pulls out too quickly before we're fully satisfied.- Joel Massie
So-so
posted on 08 Aug 2009Will Ferrell acted as executive producer for this movie and apparently the comedian was originally set to star himself. Well, you notice that from the first few moments on. "Hot Rod" is full of that Ferrell-humor that has had such a huge influence on many American comedies in the past eight years or so. The problem is that much like "Anchorman", "Talladega Nights" or "Blades Of Glory" this kind of humor ends up on the wrong side of the line between stupid fun and annoying stupidity more often that not. Silly costumes, fake mustaches, cruel stepfathers and bad 80's hair metal just don't automatically make for a lot of laughs. Quite the contrary, actually.Yeah, seeing main character Rod Kimble - played by Andy Samberg, who comes across as a mixture of Ferrell, Jack Black and Ashton Kutcher - fall and hurt himself over and over again is kinda funny, but it's also incredibly cheap and doesn't save the movie from all the boredom that ensues between the stunt scenes. "Hot Rod" is at its most annoying when characters scream like retards and purposely act badly - another thing Ferrell has established in his movie.We've just seen too many lazy and not-really funny comedies like this one. Even though "Hot Rod" does have a few moments that are good for a chuckle, ultimately it's mildly amusing at best and a sign that this kind of comedy has become trite and tired. Time for a change, Hollywood!
'Hot Rod' is basically a 90-minute SNL Digital Short. But if you love the SNL Digital Shorts as much as I do, you will agree that 'Hot Rod' is a very funny film.
posted on 08 Aug 2009"Hot Rod" was made by the "Saturday Night Live" writing team The Lonely Island. The Lonely Island is made up of three guys: Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Andy Samberg. Together, they have been a sensation on the Internet and on "SNL". But are these guys any good on the big screen? Well, I thought so."Hot Rod" would when the Academy Award for Most Ridiculously Random Plot, if there was such a thing. Lonely Island member Andy Samberg plays Rod Kimble, an amateur stuntman who believes his deceased father was a famous stuntman who worked for Evel Knievel. He tries to follow his father's footsteps by trying to land jumps from one giant ramp over to another... on a moped... yeah...Aside from stunts, Rod also tries to get the respect of his stepfather Frank (Ian McShane) by trying to beat him up. But Frank always wins.Though Rod is both a failure at being a stuntman and beating up Frank, he continues to chase both ambitions. But these ambitions suddenly collide when Rod must jump fifteen school buses to get $50,000 to get a heart transplant for Frank, who's suddenly ill and in need of one. And Rod is only doing this so that Frank can get better, giving Rod another chance to "kick his ass." Yeah... weird...Along with his half brother Kevin (Jorma Taccone), Rico (Danny R. McBride), Dave (Bill Hader), and his crush Denise (Isla Fisher), Rod must go against all odds to make the biggest jump of his life, prove himself a man, and, of course, kick Frank's ass. He's just gotta kick his ass, you know? Okay, so this movie is strange. It's weird. It's stupid. But for me, it was also genius by making what could have been really unfunny jokes and somehow making them truly hilarious.There's also many clever scenes and throwbacks to the 80's. If you are one that would get a movie's references to older movies, then this movie has your name written all over it.I'm sure there are some people that would hate this movie for stupidity, but I loved it for it's stupidity. It's not a movie everyone will like, but I think the average person would at least think it was okay or good.One more thing. If The Lonely Island wants to continue on and get bigger and better, they'll need to work harder at it. While this movie did work, a lot could've gone wrong, but fortunately it didn't.I recently saw The Lonely Island's rejected television pilot "Awesometown" on You Tube. While most of it was funny, the funniest part was Jack Black's cameo at the beginning. Well, as it would turn out, Jack Black isn't one of The Lonely Island members.However, the show did bring something different to the sketch show genre... most of the skits only featured Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Andy Samberg. So for a sketch show with only three addressed members, it was carried out pretty well.What I'm trying to say is that if The Lonely Island can work out the "glitches" in their comedy, they'll stay around. But if they can't, or if they get worse, we may not be seeing them later in the future.But I'm getting WAY ahead of myself! Going back to "Hot Rod," it's a funny film if it's your type of humor. If not, well, then you may want to consider other options. But if this is your type of humor, be sure to not miss this in theaters, or at least rent it on DVD.Bpnix12 rating: 3/5 Stars (6/10) and recommended for people like me who find The Lonely Island a funny trio.
Absolutely Hysterical
posted on 06 Aug 2009I just saw the first screening ever of Hot Rod at the Los Angeles Film Festival.As a fan of The Lonely Island, I went into this movie with high expectations. I can happily say that not only were they met but they were exceeded. This is by far the funniest, strangest and most ingenious comedy of the summer. The movie has some of the most random gags ever seen on film. This film is not for everyone: it has no stars and the comedy is very strange. But give it a chance and you will not regret it. The directing and editing of the film is both stylish and fast paced. Andy Samberg is hilarious as always but the supporting cast truly shines, particularly Bill Hader, Will Arnett and Ian McShane. Also look for an INSANELY hilarious cameo from director Akiva Shaffer. If you love the SNL digital shorts this movie is for you. Hot Rod is destined to be a cult comedy classic.
Funny stupidity
posted on 31 Jul 2009The movie is a total stupidity. For some it's fun, for me not. First I thought that it's a mockery, but at the end of the movie I understood, that it can't be so primitive, stupid and plain. The movie derides many stock moments, stereotypes or patters from American cinema history of 80s.I think the best in this film is nice music of 80s (Europe, Cutting Crew...) playing while the main hero trains or going to make a Did - that's some kind of nostalgia.I can't recommend this movie to someone to have fun, to laugh out loud or something. Only people who like 80s, that music, deriding stereotypes may like some moments of the film.
Cool cool cool cool beans...
posted on 28 Jul 2009I have to admit the trailers for the movie made it look quite funny but stupid at the same time and I thought it was going to be really bad. I had been telling people Andy Samberg was going to be the next SNL member to break out. After all, he is an Emmy winner for "D$%# in a box." I grew up watching a slew of bad movies on cable, but they were great to me. Now so many movies are trying to emulate and copy the formula of 80s movies. Part of the greatness was the clothes, the hair and the music. Almost the entire soundtrack to this movie is made up of songs by Europe, a group that was made fun of even in their own time. This movie has my kind of humor all the way through. A great movie is made up of many memorable scenes that are cohesively edited together into a whole. The plot of the movie is razor thin, but aren't all the movies that SNL actors make? Don't go into this movie thinking Shakespeare and well written dialog that will make you think. The comedy is straight to the point as a punch in the face. Just think about cheesy 80s movies and their plight. They were simple stories about a kid trying to help his brother because his bike was trashed by thugs, or trying to rescue his Dad from Russians, just outlandish plots that in no way would ever be as dramatic as they made them. The movie is about a grown man wanting to raise enough money to get his stepdad a heart transplant so he will regain his strength and then that grown man may be able to beat up his stepdad fair and square and get him to admit he loves him. That is just funny in and of itself and to wrap an entire movie around that weak premise is comedic genius. What do we get in this movie? An 80s dance/fight montage. A music video edited type scene with two brothers saying "Cool beans" back and forth. And the best of all is when Rod calls upon the power of the animals to help him garner enough strength for his stunts, and what animals does he call? Eagle, fox, bottle-nosed dolphin, octopus and house cat. Random and effective. Underlying the stupidity is brilliance.
Sweet holy kings of comedy!!!
posted on 25 Jul 2009I really didn't know what I was expecting when my friend put hot rod in his 360 about a month ago. I had seen the DVD in stores and just figured it would be some dumb, half ass-ed comedy. I was horribly mistaken. Last time I made a mistake worse than that I was in line at the medical ward to get a strange rash checked(just kidding, but seriously huge mistake).Honestly, Hot Rod may not have had the biggest budget, but it had the biggest heart. And what it did with it's budget turned a movie that could have been crap into gold.I honestly don't believe that I had to rewind the first 3 minutes of a movie so many times in my entire life. I honestly think I was 10 seconds from having a stroke. I had tears pouring down my face from it's absolute absurdity. You totally see it coming and that's what made it so funny because you wanted to totally see him eat it really bad.Andy Samberg played such a lovable, jack ass, idiot of a character as Rod Kimble that you seriously couldn't help but love to death. The confrontation between Rod and his father Frank(played hilariously by Deadwood's Ian Mcshane) was a comedic triumph in itself.The random scenario's throughout the movie reminded me of a more childish and silly version of napoleon dynamite in ways. I honestly believe that Napoleon's dance was defeated by Rod's footloose spoof. The fall that ensued was quite possibly the funniest thing I have ever seen in a movie, ever. The sheer ridiculous of it made it that much better because you know it could never happen. Once again, GOLD!!! Anyways, the directing was nothing new to any genre, it was just a simple, light-hearted comedy. Nothing special, but in no way bad. The character commentary between each other was hilarious. Whether it was Rod telling everyone they didn't party to telling Isla Fischer that she smelled sh****, it was all just silly fun.Absolute must see for any fan of Napoleon Dynamite, or anyone in search of something really funny that you can kick back with some friends, watch, and get hammered.This viewer gives it 10 out of 10 for doing everything it tried to with amazing precision.
Hey, Honchos get ready to laugh!
posted on 20 Jul 2009Every inch of this movie is hilarious! Great performances by the entire cast, very funny special features and a fresh take on "stupid humor".
On the "laugh out loud funny" commentary track(don't pass it by!) we learn that this movie was originally going to star Will Ferrel, but I'm glad he dropped out because Old Man Ferrel's got nothing on the new generation!
Like Napoleon Dynamite meets Evil Knievel, this saga of an emotionally stunted (get it?) stunt man Rod Kimble and his crew's goal to raise money for his stepfather's life-saving operation explodes with unexpected laughs stemming from awkward attempts to pick up girls, endurance training and sibling relationships.
The supporting cast (especially Danny McBride) really elevate the humor with their quirky character moments. Don't get me wrong, this is a stupid movie, but it deserves much more attention than it got upon its release. Check it out and get ready to laugh, Honchos.
"Cool Beans"
posted on 09 Jul 2009I was so ready to hate this film. I sat in on an advance preview a couple of weeks ago and must confess I laughed my ass off. Sure the film borrows some of its humor from some other sources but all in all sold as a package what this film offers is a fun and unique film with its own unique humor strategy.There are so many SNL movies pumped out with very little to offer. This offers a preposterous plot and some scenes and one liners that will be replayed on the school grounds for years to come.All in all a great film to take the kids to. I thoroughly enjoyed it! I predict great things for Andy Samberg!
best movie I have ever seen
posted on 03 Jul 2009alright people listen up. This was the funniest/ best movie I have ever seen in my entire life. Keep in mind me and my friends are 21 and have the most retarded sense of humor known to man. We laugh at people and make fun of them for looking stupid and take the world as a joke. Anyways, on to the movie. If you love random trash then this movie is perfect for you. Bacailly this movie was made for me and my friends. I personal cried times in the movie theatre. Granted people were looking at me like wtf is this guy crying about, but this movie is seriously not made to be serious. So if you're into ridiculous humor then this movie is for you. Especially the hoobastank part which is easily the best part in the entire movie. I cried for 5 minutes....LITERALLY
Unexpectedly very entertaining!
posted on 01 Jul 2009I'm the kind of guy that might smile once during a whole comedy movie but during Hot Rod sometimes you do naturally laugh out loud coz u can't help it...This guy Andy Samberg nailed his role big time and I feel he really does deserve a chance for stardom - he could be the new Adam Sandler easily is one can give a comparison but to be completely honest, most of Sandler's movies sort of force you to laugh at very old jokes...Ben Stiller does this even more, but that's why the world brings us guys like Samberg...at least someone's actually trying, and managed quite well too :) Thinking about it...a sequel wouldn't be a bad idea for Hot Rod either...at least we could get to know whether he actually killed Frank at the last moment of the movie when Frank says "You've gotta be kidding me", holds his heart, and falls down
Not a bad movie, but not so funny
posted on 01 Jul 2009The first few minutes into the movie, I got the impression that the Andy Samberg was trying to be "Jon Heder" of the Napolean Dynamite movie. Andy did try his best to look 'dumb' in the movie, but didn't succeed like Jon Heder did.Andy was funny at times, but didn't impress me. His makeup didn't go with his stupidity.Talking about the storyline..it is a decent one (I have seen worse!!) but at times it makes you think you are watching a cartoon flick..afterall could any survive a 15 Bus motorcycle jump without a scratch and walk (limp) back to the ramp "without a scratch"..To summarise - leave your brains behind and have a good time.. Note: if you have already watched Napolean Dynamite..then this would be a waste of time.
Locally Controlled Confetti
posted on 30 Aug 2009Some films come baked. They're whole. Once they adjust you into the space, they can do things with the shared imagine that cannot be done anywhere else.And then there are the candy store movies like this. They are incoherent, a jumble of notions and gags from all sorts of different perspectives and conceptual modes. You take it in bits as small as 30 seconds and only as long as 5 or so. Its a TeeVee thing, and to buy into it at all requires a step back from expectations of anything that really works. So when you comment on this, you're really commenting on the one or two elements that offended or pleased you. I'll comment on the one that I thought was clever, cinematic, fun.Its toward the end, before the big scene where our designated doofus makes his big jump, gets the girl, restores his family, achieves fame and becomes a man. It starts with the familiar march, first of our hero. Then from the sides come his sidekicks. I think there was some of that triumphant slomo strutting with swelling music. Then more and more people come from the sides and join the procession, literally behind our boy. Then at the appropriate time, they break out in song, rising in excitement over the forthcoming climax which we know will go well because of his resolve.But then in what is perfectly timed crescendo, the energy increases until it seamlessly tips into a riot. Its not a bloody, violent thing, but a Jerry Bruckheimer sort of riot with cinematic movement. Cars get turned over, people move.Its a pretty brilliant effect — very, very effective — and would have mattered in a real movie.Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.