Without a Paddle Review
by Laura Clifford (laura AT reelingreviews DOT com)August 23rd, 2004
WITHOUT A PADDLE
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Friends since childhood, Dan (Seth Green, "The Italian Job"), Jerry (Matthew Lillard, "Scooby-Doo") and Tom (Dax Shepard, "Cheaper by the Dozen") are reunited when the fourth member of their gang, Billy (Anthony Starr), dies tragically young. While taking a trip down memory lane after Billy's funeral, the trio discover that Billy had continued their childhood dream to find the stolen loot of D.B. Cooper, leaving behind a detailed map in the old tree house treasure box. Jerry and Tom convince doubting Dan that the trip must be made, but once they enter the Oregon woods, they find themselves up the creek "Without a Paddle."
It took three guys to come up with this story and another two to write the screenplay? "Without a Paddle" wastes the good nature of its leading men on what is a essentially a long, drawn out comedic take of last year's "Texas Chainsaw" ripoff, "Wrong Turn," except with most of the jokes excised. After seeing Burt Reynolds's name in the opening credits, one anticipates a bit of "Deliverance" parody, but this film is even too witless to make use of advantageous casting.
The usual situations are all trotted out - the ever present threat of homosexuality among male friends, the backwater locals, the unfriendly Sheriff, the run-in with wildlife (Bart the Bear of "Dr. Dolittle 2") and nature (white water rapids) - but even these changes of scenery are abandoned once violent pot farmers Dennis (Abraham Benrubi, "Open Range") and Elwood (Ethan Suplee, "The Butterfly Effect") are riled up. After the boys leave the burning marijuana fields behind them, the second half of "Without a Paddle" is nothing but a boring chase.
Jerry, whose girlfriend Angie (Nadine Bernecker) is tiring of his immature antics, learns the value of settling down (although what about this trip that teaches him this, besides the fact that Angie leaves him while he's away, is never made clear). Dan, a bundle of neuroses, acquires confidence and Tom, a loser with a gambling habit, is made independently wealthy via the kindness of his buds (that'll teach him fiscal
responsibility!)
Green, Lillard and Shepard scurry through "Without a Paddle" without engendering too much ill will. Director Steven Brill ("Mr. Deeds") does a nice job establishing their childhood bond in flashback, and the leads build upon that, but Brill thoroughly wastes character actors Benrubi and Suplee, both working far beneath their talents. Female characters are either devoid of humor (Bernecker) or the objects of sexual and gross out humor (Rachel Blanchard, "Road Trip" and Christina Moore as Flower and Butterfly, two tree huggers the lads conveniently run into). And talk about seven years of bad luck - Burt Reynolds has gone from a well-deserved Oscar nomination for 1997's "Boogie Nights" to this.
It may be facile, but "Without a Paddle" is too apt a metaphor for what happens to the direction of this flick to ignore. Bail now.
D+
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