Hot Tub Time Machine 2

While it goes without saying that your enjoyment of a sequel can heavily depend on how much you liked the previous film, this is especially true when viewing Hot Tub Time Machine 2. Playing more like a messy night out with some particularly unhinged friends than anything resembling a structured movie, it's the kind of hot mess that's fun to be around for short periods of time.

To be fair, returning director Steve Pink gets this. So instead of dialling it back or making the same movie again, he turns the nonsensical up to 11 and just lets his returning cast - sans John Cusack - riff. Sometimes this is funny, but more often than not you find yourself trying to piece together the jumbled timeline and just hear curse words.

As a fan of the first films brazen unwillingness to take itself in any way seriously, I was actually quite looking forward to this. That might seem like a crazy thing for a critic to say, but it was a comedy that knew what it was and played purely for filthy laughs. Also, crucially, those laughs worked and it found this loyal, cult following on DVD after performing decently at the box office.

Rob Corddry has been making a play at comedic stardom since his days as a contributor on The Daily Show. The first film showcased those talents, as the perpetual best friend essentially played an older, balder Steve Stifler; a crass, foulmouthed bollocks who was always in party mode. Here, Corddy is still the best thing about the film, but has too much (insane) plot to drive. Gags like the bellhop ALMOST losing his arm, or the constant nod to 80s classics ("Get him a body bag") are gone and not really replaced.

Speaking of replaced, Cusack is, ostensibly so, by the talented, funny Adam Scott... who has the worst character of the bunch to carry. He'll get the credit he deserves some day, just not here. Robinson and Duke raise a few chuckles, but struggle to pillage laughs from a loud plot.

All of the bad, and there is a lot of it, is almost... ALMOST undone by an inspired final ten minutes. Where was that kind of wit an innovation before?