Hot Tub Time Machine 2
Hot Tub Time Machine 2 is a 2015 American science fiction comedy film directed by Steve Pink and written by Josh Heald, serving as a direct sequel to the 2010 film Hot Tub Time Machine.[1] The story follows Lou Dorchen (Rob Corddry), who has amassed wealth as the self-proclaimed "father of the Internet," only to be assassinated; his friends Nick (Craig Robinson) and Jacob (Clark Duke) activate the titular hot tub time machine intending to travel to the past and avert the killing, but they arrive ten years in the future instead, joined by Adam's son Adam Yates Jr. (Adam Scott).[2] The film features a supporting cast including Gillian Jacobs, Chevy Chase, and Kumail Nanjiani, and expands on the original's premise of time travel enabled by a malfunctioning hot tub combined with an energy drink called Chernobly.[3] Released theatrically on February 20, 2015, by MGM, the movie received overwhelmingly negative critical reception, holding a 14% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 107 reviews, with critics decrying its juvenile humor, lack of originality, and failure to recapture the charm of the first installment.[4] Audience scores were similarly low, averaging 5.0 out of 10 on IMDb from over 43,000 user ratings.[1] Financially, it underperformed, grossing $12.3 million domestically against a production budget estimated at $14 million, contributing to perceptions of it as a commercial disappointment compared to the original film's stronger box office and home video success.[5] Despite the backlash, the sequel's premise played on the irony of skipping directly from the first film to a "2" by virtue of future displacement, a meta-joke reflected in early development considerations for titling it Hot Tub Time Machine 3.[6]Synopsis
Plot Summary
When Lou, having amassed wealth as the founder of the search engine Lougle and self-proclaimed "father of the internet," hosts a lavish party at his mansion, he is shot in the groin by a masked assailant.[7][8] Nick and Jacob, along with Adam Jr.—the son of their friend Adam—load the injured Lou into the hot tub time machine, augmented with a chemical called nitrotrinadium, intending to travel to the past to prevent the shooting.[4][8] However, the device malfunctions due to timeline interference, transporting them instead to an alternate 2025, ten years in the future from their departure point.[9][8] In this divergent timeline, Lou thrives as a celebrity entrepreneur, but Nick's marriage has failed and Jacob has achieved unexpected business success, creating paradoxes that render the hot tub unable to return them home without additional nitrotrinadium.[7][8] The group encounters altered versions of acquaintances, including a prosperous Gary Winkle who dominates the tech industry, and they pursue leads on Lou's would-be killer, initially suspecting Gary before tracing threats to a sentient smart car and ultimately identifying Adam Jr. as the perpetrator, driven by Lou's affair with his fiancée Jill.[9][8] Amid chaotic escapades at a futuristic resort modeled after their old ski lodge, they secure the necessary chemical and confront the paradoxes of their interventions.[8] Returning to 2015 with the nitrotrinadium, they avert the shooting and restore a modified present: Lou reconciles with his wife Kelly, Nick mends his relationship with Courtney, and Jacob pairs with Sophie.[8] The resolution introduces a duplicate Lou from the future, dubbed "Patriot Lou," who eliminates the original Lou with a musket to resolve timeline conflicts, prompting the group to embark on further time travels that alter historical events, as depicted in a montage during the end credits.[10][8]Cast and Characters
Principal Cast
Rob Corddry reprises his role as Lou Dorchen, the bombastic and self-aggrandizing leader of the group, whose invention of social media has brought him immense wealth but whose reckless lifestyle culminates in a groin shot by an unknown assailant, prompting the central time-travel quest to avert his death.[1][4]Craig Robinson returns as Nick Webber, the former barbershop singer turned reluctant celebrity musician, grappling with the hollowness of his fame—including viral hits like the "Webber Strut"—and joining the expedition out of loyalty despite his domestic complacency.[1][4]
Clark Duke plays Jacob Yates-Dorchen, Lou's awkward, tech-obsessed son and reluctant heir to the family fortune, whose geeky ingenuity with gadgets aids the group's navigation through temporal paradoxes while he confronts his absent father's domineering shadow.[1][11]
Adam Scott portrays Adam Yates Jr., the strait-laced, efficiency-driven counterpart to his absent father from the original timeline, stepping in as the voice of reason amid the chaos of an alternate 2025 where he manages Lou's empire but chafes at the group's juvenile antics.[1][4]