When Lou finds himself in trouble, Nick and Jacob fire up the hot tub time machine in an attempt to get back to the past. But they inadvertently land in the future with Adam Jr. Now they have to alter the future in order to save the past - which is really the present.
The charm of the first film is nowhere to be seen, leaving only penis jokes, cheap setpieces and a bull-in-a-china-shop performance from Rob Corddry.
Despite some choice improvisations, we're given no running gag as endearing as the first film.
Fans of the first film will note the problematic lack of balance; without Cusack’s notably sour contribution, Hot Tub Time Machine 2 sinks in a sea of its own bodily fluids.
The first Hot Tub, a spirited Hangover derivative, qualified as a guilty pleasure; five years on, any enjoyment this afterthought generates may necessitate a lifetime of Hail Marys.
This is the kind of movie that will make you want to go back in time – to the moment before you made the rash decision to start watching it.
Verdict: Crass comedy.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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