Squealing Like a Pig
Without a Paddle is a member of the worst species of would-be comedies—those that are unfunny and gross and sweet all at the same time. And because it tries to be all things to all audience members, the movie fails at almost every turn with its only saving grace appearing late in the picture in the form of Burt Reynolds.
The movie follows the efforts of childhood buddies Dan (Seth Green), Jerry (Matthew Lillard) and Tom (Dax Shepard) to fulfill the dream of their recently deceased friend Billy (Anthony Starr). This entails the hapless trio—a neurotic doctor, lackluster businessman with relationship trouble and a pathological liar respectively—to brave the great outdoors of Oregon to find the long-lost loot of the mythic D.B. Cooper. In typical fashion, the guys rib each other, run afoul of the local peace officer, get lost in the woods, and have adventures involving bears, rednecks and hippie wild children.
Essentially Without a Paddle is simply a Z-grade retread of last year's The Rundown, and while the latter had lots of charm and brainpower behind it, the former has little going for it other than the scenery. The dialogue is lame and the performances by leads Green and Lillard are almost catatonic (Lillard even has moments where he sounds like Shaggy from his recent turn in Scooby-Doo). Shepard who makes his feature debut here is amusing, but the movie is far too amiable to handle his over-the-top antics.
Even in the confines of Without a Paddle's universe, there is no compelling reason for the picture to take place. None of the protagonists need Cooper's haul, Billy didn't make a deathbed entreaty that the guys had to go after the loot and none of the heroes are particularly adventurous. Looked at a certain way, the entire exercise is fairly cynical with little mourning or grief involved—Billy serving only as a means to get the guys on the river and in "humorous" situations.
The limp attempts at comedy include Green's Dan beset upon by a bear and then pitching woo (it's a PG-13 movie and woo is about all that you're going to get) to a hairy nature girl (Rachel Blanchard). The humor is of the fart and poo variety, with screenwriters Jay Leggett and Mitch Rouse throwing in some treacly feelings stuff to offset the erection gags.
There are glimmers of laughs. The guys spend a fair amount of time getting chased by two maniacal pot farmers (Ethan Suplee and Abraham Benrubi) who have some of the best bits of business—the highlight a sequence in which Suplee's Elwood tracks the guys in a rainstorm. Then there's Reynolds' hermit Del Knox, who is funny primarily because Reynolds doesn't play him as a weirdo—just as a guy who likes his privacy and never had the motivation to come down the mountain.
With a plot that lacks urgency and the comedy that falls flat, Without a Paddle is one trip not worth taking.
The movie follows the efforts of childhood buddies Dan (Seth Green), Jerry (Matthew Lillard) and Tom (Dax Shepard) to fulfill the dream of their recently deceased friend Billy (Anthony Starr). This entails the hapless trio—a neurotic doctor, lackluster businessman with relationship trouble and a pathological liar respectively—to brave the great outdoors of Oregon to find the long-lost loot of the mythic D.B. Cooper. In typical fashion, the guys rib each other, run afoul of the local peace officer, get lost in the woods, and have adventures involving bears, rednecks and hippie wild children.
Essentially Without a Paddle is simply a Z-grade retread of last year's The Rundown, and while the latter had lots of charm and brainpower behind it, the former has little going for it other than the scenery. The dialogue is lame and the performances by leads Green and Lillard are almost catatonic (Lillard even has moments where he sounds like Shaggy from his recent turn in Scooby-Doo). Shepard who makes his feature debut here is amusing, but the movie is far too amiable to handle his over-the-top antics.
Even in the confines of Without a Paddle's universe, there is no compelling reason for the picture to take place. None of the protagonists need Cooper's haul, Billy didn't make a deathbed entreaty that the guys had to go after the loot and none of the heroes are particularly adventurous. Looked at a certain way, the entire exercise is fairly cynical with little mourning or grief involved—Billy serving only as a means to get the guys on the river and in "humorous" situations.
The limp attempts at comedy include Green's Dan beset upon by a bear and then pitching woo (it's a PG-13 movie and woo is about all that you're going to get) to a hairy nature girl (Rachel Blanchard). The humor is of the fart and poo variety, with screenwriters Jay Leggett and Mitch Rouse throwing in some treacly feelings stuff to offset the erection gags.
There are glimmers of laughs. The guys spend a fair amount of time getting chased by two maniacal pot farmers (Ethan Suplee and Abraham Benrubi) who have some of the best bits of business—the highlight a sequence in which Suplee's Elwood tracks the guys in a rainstorm. Then there's Reynolds' hermit Del Knox, who is funny primarily because Reynolds doesn't play him as a weirdo—just as a guy who likes his privacy and never had the motivation to come down the mountain.
With a plot that lacks urgency and the comedy that falls flat, Without a Paddle is one trip not worth taking.
