Hilarious Comedy that is Consistently Funny

Rating: 8/10 (3 August 2007)

There are so many ways to make a good comedy with some substance, so why does Hollywood fail so many times? From Napoleon Dynamite to Evan Almighty to Delta Farce, it is quite clear that some recent comedies are lacking in not just one category, but virtually every category. And then a movie like Hot Rod comes along. It is not one of those kinds of movies. It is not one of those fake, manufactured, lesson-teaching comedies. Hot Rod is genuinely funny throughout its entire runtime, and it might have even had more laugh-out-loud moments than The Simpsons Movie. The very first thing that needs to be stated, however, is that Hot Rod is the most random movie of the entire year, and it might be the most random movie of all time. Hot Rod has a very awesome cast; Andy Samberg from SNL plays the lead role, the gorgeous Isla Fisher from Wedding Crashers plays Rod's love interest, and the amazing Will Arnett plays the stereotypical vile boyfriend.
His whole life, Rod Kimble has wanted only one thing his entire lifeokay, well maybe two things; to become a stuntman, just like his father and to defeat his stepfather in battle. When Rod's stepfather becomes ill, Rod devises the ultimate stunt and a plan to raise money for his stepfather's surgery. Meanwhile, his crush Denise is back in town, but she has a boyfriend of her own. Rod sets out, with the help of his friends, to earn the money for his stepfather's surgery and win over Denise.
The plot is really nonsensical, and the movie is stupid, but what was anyone expecting? Being stupid is what made this movie funny, and it is stupid on purpose. For once, a stupid comedy actually delivered what it promised, unlike the extremely disappointing Napoleon Dynamite, a film that still holds its rightful place as number one on my list of the worst movies of all time. The script is written so well that all of the characters are easy to fall in love with. Rod is that innocent underdog who truly believes that he can accomplish something great, and Samberg brings great life to the character. The humor never falls flat, and most of the jokes are just hysterical. There are so many gags, memorable scenes, and random moments that anyone who sees this film won't be forgetting it anytime soon. From its hilarious opening scene to its strangely random and satisfying conclusion, Hot Rod never loses a bit of steam and manages to be a very consistent comedy. The cast is perfect, from Sissy Spacek to Will Arnett, and the directing and writing are pure gold.
Hot Rod is a movie that I definitely look forward to seeing again. It had so many great one-liners and completely hilarious random moments that it's hard to NOT love this film. Sure, the plot is barely coherent, but that is the point. Unlike Napoleon Dynamite, however, Hot Rod actually had a satisfying conclusion and, most importantly, it was actually funny. Whatever you do, don't miss one of the best comedies of the summer! 8/10