Review: Without a Paddle (***)

WITHOUT A PADDLE
A film review by Steve Rhodes

Copyright 2004 Steve Rhodes

RATING (0 TO ****): ***


WITHOUT A PADDLE, directed by LITTLE NICKY's Steven Brill, is a completely
silly but surprisingly funny comedy. It is basically a teen comedy since it
stars three adult actors (Seth Green, Matthew Lillard and Dax Shepard)
playing 30-year-olds (Dan, Jerry and Tom) who act like teenagers as they go
on the big adventure that they had always planned on. Hot on the trail of
D.B. Cooper's riches, they take a canoe trip deep into the backwoods of
Oregon, where they run into some dumb and dangerous rednecks. In a bizarre
twist in geography, the Oregonians all talk like people from the Deep South.



Although WITHOUT A PADDLE is clearly one long spoof of DELIVERANCE -- and
even features a well-done, extended cameo by Burt Reynolds -- the movie has
numerous homages to other films as well, and most of them are quite cute.
In the car on the way home, you'll probably do what we did and argue about
which sequences refer to other movies and which don't. Among others, there
a the hugging in bed surprise scene from PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES,
the speeder bikes chase from RETURN OF THE JEDI, the phone in the excrement
part of JURASSIC PARK 3, the cliff jump from BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE
KID and Vincent D'Onofrio's detective style from "Law and Order: Criminal
Intent." They even manage to mimic one of the most mimicked scenes ever,
Neo's bullet dodging in THE MATRIX, and still make the mimicking seem fresh.
It is definitely funny.



As our lads, who display great chemistry together, try to stay alive during
their big adventure, they find plenty of funny things to say so that the
movie isn't just one long series of sight gags. The physical comedy is
quite good, with Seth Green curled up into a fetal position as he is carried
away by a big, mean mama bear being the best. One of the best and most
bizarre episodes has the three guys rescued briefly by two tree-huggers
named Butterfly (Christina Moore) and Flower (Rachel Blanchard). High up in
their tree house in the woods, the guys hear about the erotic power of the
rain. The only disappointment comes from the movie's PG-13 rating, which
precludes some more explicit possibilities.



As the three Yuppies battle the two rednecks without half of a brain between
them, you'll be surprised how much you come to like Dan, Jerry and Tom. By
the end of this real crowd-pleaser of a picture, you feel like you've
vicariously been along with them for the ride. And what a ride it is. A
nice rush at the time, WITHOUT A PADDLE contains few, if any, memorable
moments, but, as you're laughing along with the rest of audience, you won't
care.



WITHOUT A PADDLE runs 1:33. It is rated PG-13 for "drug content, sexual
material, language, crude humor and some violence" and would be acceptable
for kids around 11 and up.



My son Jeffrey, age 15, gave it ***. He thought the jokes were fresh and
funny, and he liked the old movie references in the script. He also
commented on how well all of the casting worked.



The film opens nationwide in the United States on Wednesday, August 18,
2004. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the
Century theaters and the Camera Cinemas.



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