Classic Comedy Franchise Still Needs Long-Awaited Sequel Film

For those interested in checking out the original Hot Tub Time Machine and its underperforming sequel, both films were recently added to the Amazon Prime Video streaming library. The first film, which is inarguably superior, centers on a gang of middle-aged best friends who have begun growing apart in the years since their youths slipped through their fingers.

One of the friends, perpetual slacker and underachiever Lou Dorchen, attempts to reunite the gang for a carefree excursion, though he ultimately attempts suicide when the plans fall through.

Despite claiming that he was hospitalized for an accident, Lou’s suffering does give the gang an excuse to get back together, as his friends, Adam Yates and Nick Weber-Agnew, become extremely concerned for his well-being.

In order to appease Lou, the trio go on a trip to a ski resort where they spent their formative years, with Adam’s awkward nephew Jacob in tow. Despite Hot Tub Time Machine‘s extremely dour opening sequence, things take a sharp turn into abject chaos when the four men wake up to find themselves back at the ski resort in the year 1986.

Needless to say, the quartet quickly comes to realize that they have been transported back in time by a hot tub time machine, causing a rift in the space-time continuum and delivering one of the most memorable movie title drops of all time.

Without spoiling the plot of the first film, the second installment sees three of the core four reuniting, with a new guy slotted in to round out the cast. While the adventure is less memorable, less funny, and generally less enjoyable than the first film, the cliffhanger conclusion of Hot Tub Time Machine 2 has left audiences in the air for nearly a full decade now.

The third Hot Tub Time Machine movie was already planned at the time the second film was greenlit, though it was ultimately canceled due to the poor performance of the sequel. Actor Clark Duke even joked before the second film came out that the production team considered swapping the titles of Hot Tub Time Machine 2 and 3, just to play into the meta nature of the franchise’s deconstruction of time machine tropes. Personally, I’d be more than happy to see a third installment come to light, even if it means throwing together an hour-long Netflix original special.

The Hot Tub Time Machine movies star John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, and Clark Duke, with additional hilarious performances from Sebastian Stan, Chevy Chase, Crispin Glover, Adam Scott, and Community‘s Gillian Jacobs.

Despite the second film’s failure to live up to its predecessor, I still believe a third installment could bring the franchise back to the forefront of comedic cinema, and offer a lot of laughs. Those interested in catching Hot Tub Time Machine and Hot Tub Time Machine 2 can locate both films on Amazon Prime Video.