Dorkgasm Gonzo Is God

Grilled Cheese Vs. A Taco
By
J. Sternberg
Staff Writer

            I didn't really know what to expect when I began to watch 2007's Hot Rod, starring Andy Samberg and the always adorable Isla Fisher. A comedy about an amateur stuntman, his crew, starring a someone from SNL and produced by Will Ferrell really had all the potential in the world to hit a wall and go up in smoke. Within five minutes from the opening credit, I knew what to expect.

            Hot Rod is the story of Ron Kimble, an adult child, who lives at home with his mother, (played well by Sissi Spacek) his brother (Jorma Taccone), and his step father (Ian McShane). There are only two things Rod wants in this life, to become a famous stuntman, and the second, to kick his stepfather's ass in combat, and thus win his respect. While he has achieved some level of local infamy as a local fuckup who wants to be a stuntman, he has a much more difficult time besting Frank in their no holds barred fisticuffs, but perseveres nonetheless. Much like any sports movie, things predictably go awry, (Frank needs a heart transplant) and they conveniently need to raise a set dollar amount to keep Rod's dream of pwing his step-dad alive.

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            Ya remember earlier when I said I knew what to expect within the first five minutes, but left you hanging on to find out more? Yep, you took the bait, so here goes, I expected to laugh my ass off. The movie begins with such a breakneck speed in joke delivery and solid physical humor, you can't help but get hooked. Rod and his bumblefuck idiot crew are such great walking examples of Murphy's law that you practically wait on the edge of your seat to see where and what they'll screw up next. Samberg channels a funny Napolean Dynamite -type loser, (not funnier, in order to be funnier than something it must have a degree of humor in it to begin with, and that movie sucked, worse than anything in the history of suckage, the truth hurts) a screw up who doesn't have a heart of gold, just some simple things he wants and hard time getting there. All the while he is backed solidly by his hilariously awkward stunt crew ( Rico the ramp guy, played by Danny McBride, and Dave the mechanic, played by Bill Hader).

            The pace established early is not indicative of the entire film however, as the punchlines and physical gags begin to spread out further as the film goes on. I don't consider this a negative though, because we all know what happens to movies that try to cram too many "jokes" into a confined space. Oh you don't know what happens? They suffocate and die and the movies suffer for it, see any of the "Movie" (Epic, Scary, et al) series if you need a reference, but just take my word for it okay? I don't need any more innocent blood on my hands... Regardless, Hot Rod manages to blend its hilarious physical comedy spots in well, and never relies on one note to carry the tune, and I can really appreciate that. All in all, Hot Rod was surprisingly entertaining, even stretching its own boundaries with odd-ball sight gags and self depreciating cheese thrown in just for fun, and if you're bored, you really won't be disappointed.

I give Hot Rod 3 "Kicks to destiny's face" out of 5