Funny But Light and Stretched, Samberg's Hot Rod is Undercooked

Rating: 5/10 (18 May 2014)

An overlooked bit of screwball comedy from the members of The Lonely Island and a few of their mid-2000 SNL cohorts. Andy Samberg grabs the lead as the titular Rod, a misguided but confident would-be stuntman whose efforts always climax in a spectacular disaster. Rod is about as one-dimensional as any recurring sketch comedy character, which is to say he's got one note to play and he milks it like a rancher with idle hands. Along for the ride, Bill Hader, Danny McBride (playing, surprise, another version of Kenny Powers), Ian McShane (grievously underused) and a white-hot Isla Fisher, are even narrower. After five minutes you'll know exactly how it's going to play out. This kind of movie isn't usually about character development, though, and as a playground for comedians to wear silly t-shirts and frequently cut away to questionably-related asides, it's suitable enough. Good for a few loud howls, but it lacks consistency, substance and identity. Its greatest sin is taking a decent gag and riding it wayyyy too long, a'la Family Guy's most indulgent moments. In short, it's precisely how the trailer makes it seem: really, really stupid. Points for an excellent butt rock / hair metal soundtrack, though.