Over the years, there have been various methods of transport for travelling through time depicted on the big screen. HG Wells (Rod Taylor) for instance, did it in comfort with his time-travelling chair in The Time Machine; Marty McFly did it with slightly more flair in a DeLorean; and the exhibitionist Terminator did it in the nude. He, then, more than any of the others, would probably appreciate this latest addition to the roster of time-travelling devices: the hot tub.

It’s the present day. Middle age has somehow crept up on friends Adam (John Cusack), Nick (Craig Robinson) and Lou (Rob Corddry), tapped them on the shoulder and said ‘hi, I’m so glad I’ve found you!’. The years have pushed them apart, so they’re nowhere near as close as they were.

Adam finds himself in the middle of a messy break-up; Nick has his wife’s thumb print permanently marking his forehead from the sheer weight of being under her thumb; and Lou is the ultimate party animal with no party to go to.

However, when they learn that Lou tried to kill himself, Adam and Nick rush to his side. In an attempt to cheer him up, they decide that a trip to their old hunting ground of a ski resort. Joining them is Adam’s teen nephew Jacob (Clark Duke), who spends more time in Adam’s basement playing video games than is healthy. Together the four of them are going to party like they did in the eighties.

But just as their own lives have been ravaged by time, so has the resort. It’s saving grace however, is that the room has a hot tub. The four of them jump in, knocking back the brewskies like there’s no tomorrow. When a beer accidently gets into the controls of the hot tub it causes it to go on the fritz. This, in turn, sends all four of the hot tubbers back in time, to 1986.

Okay, own up, whose floater is that?

The three older time travellers soon discover that although they look the same to each other, everyone else sees them as they looked back in the day. And although they have returned to a period where they had the best time of their lives, they realise that they have to, well, you know, go back to the future. 1986 however, has other plans.

Despite its obvious comparisons to time-travelling flicks, Hot Tub Time Machine is more of a throwback to less politically correct times, and more accurately, to PC-less films. It is actually one big wet kiss of a homage to raunchy, coming of age comedies, akin to 1981’s Porky’s. In fact, its premise is, essentially, what if the kids from Porky’s, who are now adults, could travel through time back to the eighties for more saucy fun?

It’s a simple idea, and in truth, one that shouldn’t work at all. Who the hell wants to see a film about a bunch of old farts go back in time in an embarrassing attempt to recapture their youths?

But somehow the film pulls it off – just don’t ask how. Much of its success has to be attributed to the four male leads. Cusack may well be the biggest name involved, but there’s real sense of buddy-ship between them all that makes the audience feel that they want to be a part of their gang too.

Robinson in particular manages to shrug off his Dunder Mifflin overalls to put in a sparky performance. As does the young Duke, who is not only Michael Cera’s BFF, but is also the only thing worth watching in the US teen show Greek. Looking as he does like the bastard offspring of Rainn Wilson (Dwight Schrute in The US Office), his future looks as bright as his cinematic journey to the past here.

As well as the obvious Porky’s cheek on show, director Steve Pink has included a few noteworthy cameos. Firstly there’s Chevy Chase, who is an alumni of the National Lampoon school of bawdy comedy, so it’s only fitting for him to make an appearance in something with equal comic gravitas.

The other is a head nod in acknowledgement to probably the greatest time-travelling comedy of all time, with George McFly himself, Crispin Glover. Although it’s great to see him, his slapstick appearance is somewhat bittersweet, as it serves as a reminder of a unique talent that could have/should have made a bigger impact.

What the film lacks in sophistication (it has none), it more than makes up for in laughs; some of which may take you from surprise, originating as they do from the belly region. You may even hate yourself for doing so afterwards, but attempting to stop yourself from chuckling out loud will be easier said than done. It’s a riotous, retro cheese-fest that openly admits to being so. It defies all manner of logic, but it truly is a blast.

What Pink also gets right is the eighties soundtrack, which has a surprising amount of non US artists featured, including INXS, David Bowie, Men Without Hats, Scritti Politti and The Beat.

Without doubt our preferred method of time travel is still the DeLorean, but this Hot Tub Time Machine makes such a surprising splash, it’s certainly the next best thing. So strip off and jump in.