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Hot Rod is clearly desperate to be the new Anchorman. The humour is in a similar zany vein, and some of the characters are strikingly similar to those in the Will Ferrell favourite (Steve Carell's Brick Tamland in particular is a clear inspiration for one of the protagonists). In fact, Hot Rod was originally intended to be a Ferrell vehicle. That it fails to recapture the quote-filled magic of Anchorman is no surprise, but it is a valiant attempt. The principal cast, made up mainly of Saturday Night Live regulars like Will Ferrell and company once were, are a likeable bunch and certainly are not lacking in effort. Ultimately Hot Rod seems like a comedy that's somehow funnier in the imagination than on film, but it is consistently enjoyable with the occasional laugh-out-loud moment.
The story centres on Andy Samberg's Rod Kimble, a teenager who aspires to be a famous Evel Knievel-esque stuntman, following in his father's footsteps (who died attempting such a stunt, as recounted in graphic detail by Rod at one point). The fact that he's completely hopeless and always messes up his stunts doesn't seem to deter him. He has an ongoing feud with his stepdad - played by an entertaining post-Deadwood Ian McShane - who refuses to accept him as a man and repeatedly kicks his ass in comically violent no-holds-barred fights. When his stepdad falls ill with heart trouble, Rod vows to raise the money for a heart transplant so that he has another chance to finally beat him in a fight. As Rod puts it, "I'm going to get you better, then I'm going to beat you to death!" The way he intends to raise the money is to jump over 15 school buses on a moped. Needless to say, Hot Rod occupies a world separated from reality in which people can withstand Tom & Jerry-like levels of injury and stand right back up again, allowing for plenty of moments of slapstick.
Some of the jokes are so utterly random that they go past funny and into the realm of surreal, leaving you mystified rather than laughing. However, while the humour is certainly hit and miss, there are enough hits to keep the chuckles coming for the majority of the running time. Just like Anchorman, the film feels in a way more like a series of sketches than a continuous narrative. Thankfully it builds up plenty of goodwill for the characters, and once it finds its groove there are some very funny sequences, particularly a montage of Rod attempting various sorts of stunts at kids' parties in order to raise some money. The film also must come close to winning the 'longest ever continuous fall' award - at one point, Rod slips down a hillside, and the resulting fall is so hilariously protracted that it perhaps provides the film's best laugh. Most importantly, although the belly laughs are not hugely frequent, these characters earn our affection and respect, meaning that only the most cold-hearted will not care what happens in the end.
The summary
Hot Rod is not heading for cult classic status but it's certainly entertaining while it lasts, and forgettable once it's over.
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