Hot Tub Time Machine 2
- by Josh Heald, directed by Steve Pink
- Feature Film
- Science Fiction, Comedy
- Adults
- Definite Time Travel
- English
- Hot Tub Time Machine 2 by Josh Heald, directed by Steve Pink (at movie theaters, USA et al., 20 February 2015).
John Cusack exhibited his most excellent judgment by not reprising his role as Adam from the first tubfest. Nevertheless, we did spend several enjoyable hours up in the ITTDB Citadel trying to devise a timeline model that fits this second adventure of Adam’s three cohorts—one of whom (Jake) also attempts an explanation of how a mortally wounded Lou manages to jump into his future, healthy body. In his explanation, the trio of travelers go to 2025 in a timeline that branched off from their own timeline—in particular, a timeline where Lou was never shot. Perhaps they are even in the very timeline that was created after the trio returns to 2015 and Lou is not shot. That means that they’re living in the 2025 timeline at a point in their personal lives that’s before their actions created that timeline.
—Michael Main
So, Lou was killed in our present, which means that here in the future, he should still be dead. Well, clearly he’s not fucking dead, because he’s sitting here, still bothering me. So what that tells me is we’re in a completely different future on a completely different timeline. [. . .] Anyway, the repairman said that the past is actually the future of the present that we’re in right now. So I think what that means is the killer is from the future. So clearly, someone from 2025 will go back in time and shoot Lou.
Tags
(13)
- Time Periods
- Circa AD 2000 to 2099: from 2015 to 2025 and back
- Timeline Models
- Branching Timelines: See Jake’s explanation—which may need more work. For example, there are both successful and failed attempts to shoot Lou. What branches do these different shooters come from?
- Leaky Timelines: Leaky timelines were more important in the first film, but still have a minor role here when Lou flickers while considering going to a future strip club rather than finding his killer. Also, in 2025 the appearance of nitrotrinadium from the past may involve a leaky timeline.
- Themes
- Anachronistic Music, Dance, and Other Creations: As Lou put it: I guess you could say I take from a lot of artists.
- Ex Nihilo Knowledge: The invention of nitrotrinadium appears to have no origin, although this could probably be explained via branching timelines.
- Free Will, Fate, and Determinism: There is a force, or something, holding the strings and setting everything up, just so they can be knocked down . . . perfectly into place.
- Get Rich Quick through Time Travel: At the start of the film, we see that from 1985 to 2010, Jake used his knowledge of those years to become rich and famous.
- Guardians of Time: the mystical time baron that holds the keys to our very existence
- Nude Travel: Actually, they have a clever method of avoiding nude travel: We put a big dryer in so we don’t have to time travel naked.
- The Question is “When?”: What you should be asking yourself is “When the fuck . . . ?”
- Sent to Wrong Time!: They were trying to go back one day, but ended up going ahead ten years.
- Time Montages: Just before the credits, we see a montage of time travel trips, mostly back through US history.
- Groupings
Variants
(1)
- Hot Tub Time Machine 2 by Josh Heald, directed by Steve Pink (at movie theaters, USA et al., 20 February 2015).
John Karnay (other contribution)