Paramount Pictures
At first glance, Hot Rod plays like pure nonsense but must be talked about. I can’t wait another year for its 20th Anniversary… my gut hurts from laughing so hard after a rewatch!
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A wannabe stuntman on a cheap moped, inn a cheap helmet, and fake moustache falling down hills, getting into dance fights, and hitting big jumps is everything on the surface of Hot Rod. But underneath the absurdity, the movie is doing something way smarter than it lets on… it knows about all the awkward cuts, prolonged scenes, randomness, and continuity errors. All planned. All for laughs. What do you expect from an SNL crew and movie?
Directed by Akiva Shaffer of The Lonely Island SNL group, the film borrows a suprsing amount from the arthouse/indie comedy scene. Long pauses, deadpane line deliveries, smash-cuts, and repetitive scenes designed to garner bigger laughs (cue Rod falling down a hill that lasts nearly an entire minute)
It helps that the cast is stacked with soon-to-be heavyweights…. Bill Hader, Danny McBride, Isla Fisher, and Will Arnett. They all add their secret blend of humor and spices. The Will Arnett “BABE” moment is undeniably one of the greatest comedy scenes ever.
Hot Rod doesn’t play like a regular comedy, it has ridiculous “stunts” with punchlines that play over and over. It breaks the fourth wall scene after scene with these small side-quest moments and doesn’t apologize for detering from the usual comedy film outline.
Personally, I love how random each scene is, the writing is so damn smart and there is such meaning and heart behind every weird interaction.
vvv Trivia and GIFs below! vvv
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