THE ‘FUTURE’ IS HARD TO RESIST

Hulu’s new time-traveling sci-fi comedy “Future Man” is, well, a marvel, as it seamlessly spoofs the “Back to the Future” movies while creating its own endearingly silly identity.

Josh Hutcherson plays Josh Futturman, who spends his days cleaning toilets at Kronish Laboratories, a research facility devoted exclusively to finding a cure for herpes, which afflicts its founder, Dr. Elias Kronish (Keith David). Josh lives with his parents (Ed Begley Jr. and the late Glenne Headly) and is obsessed with video games, one of which opens a portal in time through which a couple of hilariously unearthly video game characters emerge, Tiger (Eliza Coupe) and Wolf (Derek Wilson).

They have shown up to inform Josh that he is “The Savior” of mankind. As such, he has to travel back in time with them to prevent Kronish from getting herpes because the blister-lipped doctor’s research will lead to the destruction of life.

Tiger and Wolf are woefully ill-equipped to blend in with human beings, regardless of the era. At one point, for example, Begley’s character is trying to teach Wolf how to cook and gives him the instruction, “Beat the eggs.” There is a slight pause as we wait for the inevitable — and are not disappointed when Wolf pummels the entire box of eggs to messy smithereens.

Josh is equally ill-equipped to save mankind, and certainly not up for going back in time to kill Kronish before he can get herpes. His efforts to keep Tiger and Wolf from dispatching Kronish entirely aren’t made any easier with the constant threat of robotlike creatures known as Biotics.

The script is filled with subtle and not-so-subtle plays on words, so when Josh’s loyalty to the cause seems suspect, he is accused by Tiger of being “proBiotics.” “Future Man” may not be sophisticated comedy but its unabashed cleverness and fun are hard to resist.