That’s him on the far right.

So far, despite 65ish% ratings on Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes, a lot of the country’s most respected critics actually seem to kind of like “Hot Tub Time Machine,” the first starring role for Glenwood’s Clark Duke.

Advertisement

Here’s a quick round-up:

I can’t be sure, but I think the density of the f-word reaches the saturation point in ‘Hot Tub Time Machine.’ I may have heard it employed as three different parts of speech in the same sentence. One wonders if American-spoken English could survive without it. What did we say in the old days? It must have been a quiet land.

Advertisement

The bottom line is, gross-out guy comedies open twice a month, and many of them are wretched excesses. “Hot Tub Time Machine,” which wants nothing more than to be a screwball farce, succeeds beyond any expectations suggested [Roger Ebert, Three Stars]

If you are a connoisseur of sexual, scatological or just plain stupid humor, you will find your appetite satisfied, even glutted. But viewers of a certain age and background — let’s say those who know the lyrics to “Jesse’s Girl” by heart, even if they never really liked that song — are likely to endure the merry anarchy with a twinge of pained, slightly nauseated nostalgia. [A.O. Scott, NY Times. Scott describes Duke as “looking like a younger, less smug version of the Apple scapegoat and ersatz know-it-all John Hodgman” and ends his review with, “It’s fun, it’s sad, and it’s kind of sad that it’s so much fun,” which Metacritic translates into a perfect score.]

Advertisement

Duke could be Rainn Wilson’s weird younger brother, he has the same off-center charm. [Betsy Sharkey, LA Times, in a similarly positive review]

But much of the story hinges on character actors Rob Corddry and Clark Duke, who overdo everything with a shrillness that makes the movie’s crass jokes and gags all the more obnoxious — and a lot less funny than they might have been. [David Germain, AP. Burn]

Advertisement

Help to Keep Great Journalism Alive in Arkansas

Join the fight for truth and become a subscriber of the Arkansas Times. We've been battling powerful forces for 50 years through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, our readers value great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing and supporting our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage. Together, we can continue to hold the powerful accountable and bring important stories to light. Subscribe now or donate for as little as $1 and be a part of the Arkansas Times community.

Previous article Robert Plant to Robinson Next article LRSD and the charter schools