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Edwin Davies: Changing the release date probably hurt the film a fair bit. Ironically, the reason why it was moved was that it would have opened opposite The Interview on Christmas Day, and the studio probably realized that they would get pummeled if they went up against another high-concept R-rated comedy. By the time that The Interview's release had been cancelled then partially un-cancelled, everything was set up for a February release date for Hot Tub Time Machine 2. Had the studio stuck to their guns and opened the film on Christmas Day, it could have benefited from being the only adult comedy in the marketplace and ridden the holiday box office to a decent number, whereas now it looks likely to get quickly forgotten.

This strikes me as a much worse replay of the situation we saw last year with Horrible Bosses 2. Both are sequels to moderately successful films that were well-liked, but not massively so, and both came out over three years after the previous installment. It seems like there is a pretty small window for releasing a quickly made sequel, and it's usually about two years. By this point, it seems that most people have forgotten the first film, or have reached a point where they view it as a one-joke premise that didn't need to be repeated.

Ryan Kyle: This is pretty awful for opening last out of the trio of newcomers it was expected to lead. I feel bad for MGM. Too financially burdened to develop any original ideas, they are forced to mine their library for remakes and sequels that nobody wants, making it just a vicious cycle. With the biggest star of the original gone and the nostalgia factor missing (they go into the future instead of back in time this go-around), Hot Tub Time Machine 2 lost everything that made the first one a minor hit. With heavier-than-expected R-rated competition (Kingsman last week and Focus the next), audiences couldn't be bothered to pay for a movie that probably isn't worth more than a rental. With a C-minus Cinemascore, the word-of-mouth should be pretty dire. I'd be surprised if the end total will even match the $14 million budget.

David Mumpower: I'm going to reiterate something I mentioned with Horrible Bosses 2. I knew the film was in trouble when I thought the ads looked funny. That's generally death for a comedy. I also bring it up due to the natural comparison between the two. Each is a concept comedy whose premise sold tickets. Apparently, we can update that to reflect that tickets are sold once and only once. HTTM2 has been advertised more than any film in recent memory, so this is a savage loss once we factor in marketing expenses. I love that The Duff, a movie that was smartly advertised to the right demographics, has crushed a movie whose commercials were like an assault on network television.

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