Everybody enjoys a movie when the main character is an underdog who comes into his own.

Ferdinand (Rob Stanley) is prone to anxiety and he only feels truly comfortable when he is left to tend the fish in the Fish Land Aquarium where he works. Imagine how he must feel when the aquarium is closed for refurbishment and he must take a temporary job in another part of the leisure complex. Fish may be undemanding, but in the Turkish-Delight Spa Ferdinand must interact with human beings. It doesn’t help that these human beings are almost always naked and this adds to Ferdinand’s discomfort as he goes about his business, tending the sauna and replenishing the towels in the spa.

Gradually Ferdinand begins to relax and his inhibitions start to wear away. He realises that sometimes people can be more interesting than fish. He starts to bask, literally and figuratively, in the unusual and varying types of warmth which are offered to him by his fellow workers. As Ferdinand blossoms the reason for his retreat from life is made clear. Once he comes to terms with that, he feels free to grasp the chance of a happy future which is offered to him.

Director Beryl Koltz focuses on unconventional characters in her movies and this one continues that trend. Hot Hot Hot is entertaining and upbeat and has the added bonus of an amusing twist at the end. (JM)