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Studio:Paramount Home Entertainment

Director:Akiva Schaffer

Cast: Sissy Spacek, Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Bill Hader, Danny McBride

Running Time:88 minutes

Product Description

United Kingdom released, Blu-Ray/Region A/B/C DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), English ( Dolby TrueHD ), French ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), Spanish ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), English ( Subtitles ), French ( Subtitles ), Portuguese ( Subtitles ), Spanish ( Subtitles ), ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN (2.35:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Alternative Footage, Anamorphic Widescreen, Behind the scenes, Commentary, Deleted Scenes, Interactive Menu, Scene Access, Trailer(s), SYNOPSIS: Hot Rod might be called the poor man's "Eagle vs. Shark" if "Eagle vs. Shark" were not already the poor man's "Napoleon Dynamite." It certainly lacks the conceptual purity and aesthetic integrity of the "Jackass" movies. In any case poor certainly describes the quality of the filmmaking. Directed by Akiva Schaffer from an improvisation-enhanced script by Pam Brady, "Hot Rod" is unapologetically, almost proudly crummy looking, as though paying tribute with its sloppy framing and clumsy editing to the goofy, half-baked quality of its hero's stunts. "Hot Rod" is primarily a vehicle meant to propel Andy Samberg from "Saturday Night Live" and YouTube celebrity into the stratosphere of comic-movie stardom. As such it is a bit like the rickety moped that Mr. Samberg's character, Rod Kimble, uses for his not-quite-death-defying stunts ...Hot Rod (Blu-Ray)

Amazon.co.uk Review

After making a name for himself on SNL through a series of shorts, particularly viral video favourite "Lazy Sunday," the way was clear for Andy Samberg to segue to the big screen. Directed by SNL scribe Akiva Schaffer, Hot Rod proves his humour works best in small doses. Then again, producer Will Ferrell got his start in A Night at the Roxbury. In his first starring role, Samberg is amateur stuntman Rod Kimble. To raise money for his ailing stepfather, Frank (played with devilish glee by Deadwood's Ian McShane), Rod plans to jump 15 school buses on a moped. With support from his crew, which includes SNL's Bill Hader and Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers), Rod trains for the big event. All the while, Denise (Fisher) is seeing obnoxious attorney Jonathan (Will Arnett, Arrested Development). Lack of physical dexterity aside, Rod prevails through pure dogged determination. You've seen it before, and if you can't get enough of this sort of thing, you'll see it again. Hot Rod is the kind of slapdash comedy that neglects to provide its hero with an age, a job, or even a hometown. But don't count Samberg out. Given time, he may yet craft a persona that doesn't borrow so heavily from the man-boy antics associated with Ferrell and Adam Sandler. Still, Hot Rod would've worked better with the funnier, more sympathetic Jorma Taccone, who plays Rod's half-brother, in the lead--on the other hand, that's the same formula that made Napoleon Dynamite a hit. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

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