Rating: PG-13
Starring:
Andy Samberg as Rod Kimble
Jorma Taccone as Kevin Powell
Bill Hader as Dave
Danny R. McBride as Rico
Isla Fisher as Denise
Sissy Spacek as Marie Powell
Ian McShane as Frank Powell
Will Arnett as Jonathan
Chris Parnell as Barry Pasternak
Chester Tam as Richardson
Directed by Akiva Schaffer
Special Features:
Commentary by Akiva Schaffer, Andy Samberg, and Jorma Taccone
Ancestors Protect Me: Behind the Scenes of Hot Rod
Deleted & Extended Scenes
Outtakes
Theatrical Trailer
Kevin’s Videos
Punch Dance
Home Video Footage of Orchestra Recording Session
Theatrical Trailer
Other Info:
Widescreen
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Spanish and French Language
Spanish and French Subtitles
Running Time: 87 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the official synopsis of the film:
“Amateur stuntman Rod Kimble (Andy Samberg) has a problem – his step-father Frank (Ian McShane) is a jerk. Frank picks on Rod, tosses him around like a rag doll in their weekly sparring sessions, and definitely doesn’t respect him, much less his stunts. But when Frank falls ill, it’s up to Rod to stage the jump of his life in order to save his step-father. The plan: Jump 15 buses, raise the money for Frank’s heart operation, and then…kick his @$$.”
“Hot Rod” is rated PG-13 for crude humor, language, some comic drug-related and violent content.
Mini-Review:
“Hot Rod” is one of those films that have all the funny moments in the trailer. If you saw the preview, you saw 80% of the laughs in the movie. It’s kind of a less funny mix of “Napoleon Dynamite” and “Talladega Nights.” You have a lovable band of losers that defy their incompetence and end up winners in the end.
Andy Samberg is funny enough as Rod, but the big laughs, for me, came from the secondary characters. I particularly liked Danny R. McBride as Rico. He’s insane and potentially violent. Whether he’s attacking a guy on the street or randomly slapping people on the hand, he made me laugh repeatedly. (I imagine the fact that his jokes weren’t in the trailer helped a lot.) Chris Parnell also adds some bizarre laughs as Barry Pasternak, an AM radio announcer.
If you like Samberg or movies with buffoonish, goofy characters then “Hot Rod” is for you. Otherwise save an hour of your life and just watch the trailer.
There’s a decent selection of bonus features. You have your typical commentary, outtakes, and “making of” featurette. There are also 15 minutes of Deleted & Extended Scenes. Rounding out the extras are samples of Kevin’s Videos, an entire featurette on Rod’s “Punch Dance”, and footage of the Orchestra Recording Session.
