Hot Rod

All it takes is one surprise hit, especially one that seemingly comes from nowhere, and suddenly studios will do whatever they can to try and duplicate the same phenomenon. Independent films seem to baffle these studios, because no matter how many times they try and duplicate The Blair Witch Project, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Napoleon Dynamite or whatever the next indi-hit may be, the amount of success is never equivalent to the original. I wouldn’t say that Hot Rod is a bad film, or even that I didn’t laugh, but there were just as many moments I felt like I was watching a bad Napoleon Dynamite imitation. The awkwardly strange protagonist and bizarre setting makes it uncomfortably similar, but it isn’t exactly a spoof, whereas a dance sequence in the woods is an obvious play on Footloose. This odd mix of humor is more inconsistent than one might like, but occasionally it works.

Following in many other footsteps of comedy, Hot Rod also keeps a long-standing tradition of stupid characters. Before Napoleon Dynamite there was Zoolander, and before that Dumb and Dumber. Even Laurel and Hardy amused us with stupidity. In Hot Rod Andy Samberg (Saturday Night Live) is Rod Kimble, a stuntman living in his mother’s house and attempting small and unsuccessful stunts. He is ridiculed by everyone except his step-brother and his friends, but somehow he attracts the attention of his childhood neighbor (Isla Fisher) who joins his crew. When Rod’s abuse step-father (Ian McShane) is expected to die without a heart transplant, Rod decides to raise the money for the operation with one big jump.

Despite everyone’s skepticism Rod starts training for the big jump, hoping that his efforts will impress his latest crew member, but his hopes are put off by the lawyer boyfriend (Will Arnett) from television’s Arrested Development). This hurdle is nothing compared to Rod’s difficult trek earning the money for the large stunt as a hired stunt-man. Even though there are far more nonsensical sequences than necessary ones, the journey is far more entertaining than the predictable resolution.

The DVD is filled with extra features likely to entertain fans of the irreverent comedy, including plenty of deleted and extended scenes, and an outtakes reel which is just alternate takes rather than outtakes. Many of them are lines left out of the film for a reason. Also included is the footage comparison between the footloose spoof and the actual scene from the 1980s dance classic, which essentially becomes a plug for another movie. The audio commentary includes director Akiva Schaffer along with actors Andy Smaberg and Jorma Taccone, which is a surprisingly great combination. There is also a making-of featurette and a few other bells and whistles.