Hot Rod (2007)

“I’d rather die than live in a world where I can’t kick your ass.” – Rod Kimble

Number of Times Seen – 1 (15 Jul 2020)

Brief Synopsis – An amateur stuntman vows to raise $50,000 for his ailing stepfather in order to hep him have heart surgery that isn’t covered by their insurance.

My Take on it – This is a film that I have avoided for quite some time because it looks quite silly.

I decided to finally give it a try and was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable it actually was.

The lead performance by Andy Samberg is what makes this film worth watching because he plays his character in a simple way that comes across as being quite genuine instead of silly as one might expect.

The film’s plot plays out well and they manage to both satire other movies like this one yet also give us something unique.

Besides Samberg, the supporting cast is fun to watch especially those who aren’t usually cast in comedies.

This allows for things to remain both funny and grounded at the same time.

The best part about this film tho is the fact that the lead characters isn’t seen by the audience as some silly kid trying to do the impossible but instead it’s about someone with a lot of heart that dreams to do something that is not easy, yet truly believes the whole time that he will eventually succeed.

This helps make things seem even more poignant in what they try to do with this story and that helps it all become even more entertaining to watch.

Bottom Line – Extremely fun comedy that works really well due to the performance by Samberg which comes off as being quite genuine instead of silly. The story plays out really well in its attempt to both satire these kind of movies yet also give us something more unique. IN addition to Samberg, the cast is great and allow for things to be both funny and realistic throughout. The best part about this film is that the main characters isn’t seen as a silly kid dreaming the impossible but rather it’s about someone who has aspirations to accomplish something and truly believes that if he keeps tying, he will eventually succeed and that helps make things more poignant throughout. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – During the filming of the opening scene, where Rod attempts jumping over the bus, the stuntman playing Rod actually broke his leg. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (7/10)