Three guys take off for a wild river excursion, thinking that “This might be the last chance we have to do something incredibly stupid.”
Sizing these guys up, that’s probably not true. “Without a Paddle” takes them fearlessly past bear attacks, rapids, gun-totin’ hillbillies and tree-huggin’ babes. As though to make the connection to “Deliverance” explicit, the movie even has Burt Reynolds.
The three 30ish pals have reunited in Oregon to pay last respects to a childhood friend. Vowing to do the incredibly stupid thing to honor his memory, they rent a canoe and shove off on a river that the buddy thought might lead to parachute-hijacker D.B. Cooper’s fabled stash of cash.
Slapstick comedy ensues. In some ways, it probably shouldn’t be funny that a bear wanders into the campsite and picks up one of the guys by his jacket and carries him around. But it is.
You’re saying to yourself, this is Three Stooges territory, and you’re not far off. The three actors taking the trip in this one are all experienced clowns. Diminutive Seth Green (who sparked his scenes in “The Italian Job”) plays a doctor of timid nature; gangly Matthew Lillard (Shaggy in “Scooby Doo”) is a more outgoing businessman.
The wild card is the third guy, a goof-off played by Dax Shepard. Shepard was a regular on “Punk’d,” the MTV prank show in which Ashton Kutcher channeled Alan Funt. As far as movies are concerned, he’s one of the comedy finds of the year: His shambling, wisecracking persona recalls Bill Murray of the “Meatballs” era, with about as much sense of social responsibility.
Burt Reynolds joins the action as a reclusive backwoods guy, all beard and hat. It’s a long paddle from “Deliverance,” but he looks like he’s enjoying himself.
The opening reels of this movie have a “Wonder Years” sentimentality to them, and the film goes on too long. It reaches for a male-bonding hugginess that belongs more to a beer commercial than a slapstick comedy. (You will recall the Stooges never did that.)
However, “Without a Paddle” is sometimes hilarious. I laughed at the pot field that burns down, and at the Rottweilers that get high on the fumes and stare at the constellations in the night sky. I laughed at the three guys huddling together for warmth in a cave, trying to deal with their same-sex panic. And – what can I say – I laughed at the bear.
“Without a Paddle” was directed by Steven Brill, who wrote the original “Mighty Ducks” and directed the Adam Sandler opus, “Little Nicky.” Brill came to the area recently to promote the movie, and I interviewed him in a busy Starbucks.
“People my age grew up on the same things, as far as comedy,” he said. “Monty Python, Mel Brooks, ‘Animal House,’ SCTV. ‘Raising Arizona’ is probably the most influential movie on me. ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ was probably most influential for this movie.”
Brill likes to get comic actors together and see what they can bring to a scene. “I try to be looser, not over-rehearse the action. You need to be able to play, or it becomes very stilted.” He allows actors to try different approaches, which leaves Brill with alternatives in the editing room. “It’s like a Chinese menu that way.”
Set in Oregon, the picture was shot in New Zealand. “It’s a really cool place to shoot a movie,” Brill said. “There’s not a lot of people there to look over your shoulder. We had Peter Jackson’s crew from ‘Lord of the Rings,’ so it was like an indie movie with an A-level crew.”
And Burt Reynolds? “I was a little intimidated by him at first,” Brill said. “We were kind of in awe of the guy. But I don’t change my method for people I should be afraid of. Burt loves comedy and he’s really good at it. He’s a real sharp guy, real lucid, with great timing.”
One day Reynolds had to stop a shot while the camera was rolling because he realized his prop gun was improperly loaded and could be dangerous. Brill heard someone call “Cut!” and realized it was Reynolds. “He apologized and explained. He said, ‘I’m sorry, Chief.’ He called me Chief. He’s awesome.”
Matthew Lillard, Seth Green and Dax Shepard star in “Without a Paddle.”
Burt Reynolds stars in “Without a Paddle.”
“Without a Paddle” HH
Three stooges in the wild: Three goofs travel down an Oregon river in search of D.B. Cooper’s lost money. Too much beer-commercial sentiment, but there are some hilarious moments, and newcomer Dax Shepard is a real find.
Rated: PG-13 rating is for subject matter.
Now showing: Everett 9, Galaxy, Marysville, Mountlake, Stanwood, Oak Tree, Pacific Place, Woodinville, Cascade, Oak Harbor Plaza.
“Without a Paddle” HH
Three stooges in the wild: Three goofs travel down an Oregon river in search of D.B. Cooper’s lost money. Too much beer-commercial sentiment, but there are some hilarious moments, and newcomer Dax Shepard is a real find.
Rated: PG-13 rating is for subject matter.
Now showing: Everett 9, Galaxy, Marysville, Mountlake, Stanwood, Oak Tree, Pacific Place, Woodinville, Cascade, Oak Harbor Plaza.
Robert Horton
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