Since I’ve been stuck between the choice of hanging out in my hotel room or gambling I opted for the former and decided to check out “Hot Tub Time Machine” the other night. On the whole I enjoyed it for what it was. It was kind of nice to see John Cusak back in the silly, juvenile type of comedies that I came to know and love him in. It was raunchy at times, really gross at others, it had some boobies in it, and a few points where I laughed out loud. Certainly not the best movie I have ever seen, but far from the worst.

BUT…

I have a real problem with the ending. A statement like this is often accompanied by a Spoiler Alert, so here is yours.

So despite the fact that Chevy Chase shows up as an amusing hot tub repairman and warns them of the dangers of changing “even one thing” in the past the heroes of the film completely muck up history. The only thing they really need to worry about happening is, apparently, the sexual act that caused the conception of the character played by Clark Duke (and even that seems to happen differently, as Rob Corddry’s character doesn’t seem to recall the act prior to it happening). At the end of the film all of the characters go back to the future except Corddry’s, because (for him) there’s nothing worth going back for.

But…there’s nothing worth going back for any of them! In fact, going back turns out to be a bit of a punishment. By staying in the past the “Violator” gets to completely live the last 20 years over again. He’s in his young body, he has knowledge of the future that allows him to become a millionaire, and he continues to change the timeline with no respect at all for the consequences. As it turns out the other two characters lead completely different, awesome lives. When they return to the future they find out that the last 20 years have been filled with amazing things and that they have pretty much lived out all of their dreams…

And they don’t remember any of it.

How fucked up is that? So you’re life is complete shit. You’re sent back in time with all the knowledge of the future and pushed into your younger body and you are given the chance to live your life over again and you don’t take it. You do the responsible thing and go back to the future only to find out that your life was totally different in every possible good way but you don’t have any recollection of those events. You still had 20 years that sucked! Even if you figure that the future is going to be better, you’re still carrying around baggage and memories of 20 years that didn’t happen. Pretty soon that’s gonna catch up to you.

So, yeah…That irked me. For a silly movie that turned around and became a really depressing ending…if you’re a nerd like me, anyway.