REEL CRITIC:Oddball comedy ‘Hot Rod’ falls short

Fans of Andy Samberg and the TV show “Saturday Night Live” may get a rise from Samberg’s first feature film, “Hot Rod.” The majority of you should spend your Saturday night elsewhere and wait until this low-flying comedy comes out on DVD or cable.

Samberg stars as Rod Kimble, a self-proclaimed stunt man who plans to jump 15 school buses on a motorcycle to raise money for his dying and abusive stepfather, Frank. Rod only wants Frank to get better, so he can fight him one last time and finally win.

This is an oddball comedy so I’m not going to dump on the plot. It is what it is. My main motivation to see “Hot Rod” was laughter. Unfortunately, the laughs were few and far between and the best material was already showcased in TV commercials.

“Hot Rod” is not horrible, and I did chuckle at various points, but the comedy is very uneven. Since it’s rated PG-13, the filmmakers played it extremely safe in order to appeal to a younger male audience. Boys are smarter than we give them credit for, and I believe they’d rather play Nintendo Wii than spend 88 minutes watching an extended comedy skit with mild language and no nudity.

My stuntman friend Monty and I were very frustrated because this could have been a memorable comedy with a few minor script adjustments. The most disappointing thing about “Hot Rod” is the fact that the beautiful and extremely funny actress, Isla Fisher, didn’t get to showcase her abilities next to Samberg. I’m a huge fan of her work but her character had no depth and zero opportunities to be funny. I’m still trying to figure out why Fisher and Academy Award-winner Sissy Spacek were even in this movie. I guess they needed some extra cash to buy an iPhone.

“Hot Rod” misses the comedy mark on many levels, and I suggest you perform your own entertainment stunt by not jumping at the chance to see this movie on the big screen. This comedic crash landing will do serious damage to your finances but not your brain.