by Robert Scocchi
| Published
When I was 15, I rented a copy of Without paddle from the local video store and was accused of failing to return the title. Since I was the last registered person to check out the movie and it wasn't in stock, and I wanted to continue renting movies, I reluctantly paid over $80 to maintain my good standing with the owner. Years later, I found a DVD case securely wedged between the sections of my entertainment center, and… Without paddle As a result, it remains the most expensive film in my collection.
Now that Without paddle It is broadcasting NetflixI wonder if it's worth paying such a high fee for a critically panned comedy starring Seth Green, Matthew Lillard, and Dax Shepard. after My neighbor Title (I lost the DVD again but it's floating around somewhere), I can rest assured that I have no regrets at all – stupid as Without paddle This may be the feel-good survival comedy of the early 2000s, the kind of film that critics will hate but fans of low-brow humor will devour.
Reconnect the best buds
Without paddle The film revolves around three adult childhood friends: Dan (Seth Green), Jerry (Matthew Lillard), and Tom (Dax Shepard). Resigned to the drudgery of adult life, the three friends reunite to celebrate the life of their recently deceased friend, Billy (Anthony Starr). Billy was known to be an adventure enthusiast and traveled extensively, and died while parasailing in Costa Rica during one of his many perilous journeys.
Dan is a highly sensitive doctor who owns a successful private practice, but he has difficulty meeting women because he is an obsessive type who is afraid of things like plastic wrap. Jerry is an unmotivated but successful businessman who prefers to spend all his free time surfing, which makes his girlfriend Denise (Bonnie Somerville) question his commitment to their relationship. Rounding out the trio is Tom, a compulsive liar who also happens to be the least successful but most trusting member of the group.
In search of hidden treasure
Gathering in their childhood treehouse depicted in the opening sequence of Without paddleDan, Jerry and Tom remember all the wonderful times they had with Billy during their childhood before they split up. While searching through their old belongings, they are reminded of the blood pact they made with Billy about finding hidden treasure by a known con artist and adventurer named D. B. Cooper. Little did they know, Billy had spent most of his adult life obsessed with the legend of D. B. Cooper and his hidden fortune, and continued to add his findings to his tree stash in hopes of one day retracing Cooper's steps.
Realizing that Billy died before getting the gang back together and finding the treasure, the three friends decide to head to Oregon in Billy's honor so they can fulfill their pact.
Things keep getting worse
Having little to no outdoor experience, Dan, Jerry and Tom head into the remote wilderness Without paddle With nothing more than a rented kayak and a few cases of beer. Against the advice of the local sheriff (Ray Baker), they set out to find D. B. Cooper's treasure and things quickly go off the rails. Even the Native American river guide they rented the boat from tells them that the boat has a GPS tracker so he can retrieve it after they drown in the roaring river they were preparing to cross, but they are too determined to set off with their old compass and Billy's map anyway.
Without paddle Events escalate rapidly and steadily as the group of inexperienced friends fight off a ravenous bear on more than one occasion, are thrown over waterfalls, strip naked and huddle together in the rain to keep each other warm, and accidentally stumble upon a massive drug operation running in the area. Two deranged hillbillies named Dennis (Abraham Benrubi) and Elwood (Ethan Suplee) during making enough References (keep an eye out for a Burt Reynolds cameo from Chapter Three). When the gang finds themselves in increasingly deeper waters (literally and figuratively), their friendship and commitment to celebrating Billy's life keep them from turning back even though their mission shifts from searching for treasure to simply surviving the elements.
Goofball Energy and Chemistry
Strange as well Without paddle maybe, Seth GreenMatthew Lillard and Dax Shepard succeed because they come across as people you'd want to go on these kinds of adventures with. At the very least, if I were about to be killed and never found in the remote wilderness, I would want to go out singing Culture Club songs while getting shot by a drug dealer who also likes to give his best rendition of “Do You Really Want to Hurt me” between machine gun explosions.
At the very least, a critical level of 15 percent Rotten tomatoes Against Popcornmeter's score of 68 percent, that's enough indication of that Without a paddle She found her audience. Without paddle It's not a profound film that attempts to explore human arrogance while teaching its audience a lesson about the dangers of the great outdoors.
If you want to watch someone get beaten to death by a bear, you can go watch Backcountry.
If you want to sit back and laugh while three companions wander overhead in search of hidden treasure, you can stream Without paddle On Netflix.
