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What’s the Story?

Reviewed by Nell Minow

WITHOUT A PADDLE begins with faux home movies of four boys up to all kinds of faux hi-jinks. Only three of them survive to adulthood -- one of them has died and the other three decide to salute his memory by taking the treasure map he left behind for them in the old tree house, so they can go off in search of treasure and find themselves, the meaning of life, and maybe some money, too. The trio includes successful but repressed and phobic Dr. Dan Mott (Seth Green), substance-abusing, fun-loving ladies man Tom (Dax Shepard), and Jerry (Matthew Lillard), who is unhappy in his boring job and unable to commit to his beautiful girlfriend because he just can't grow up. Their journey includes life lessons, poop humor, beautiful hippie chicks who live in a tree and eating bark, and various perils.

Is It Any Good?

1

Without a Paddle is also without a lot of other things, including humor, talent, originality, or brains. There is not one joke that hasn't been seen before and done much better. Most of them are just silly or gross rather than funny anyway. The purportedly heartwarming moments are cheesy and insincere.

Director Steven Brill is responsible for directing atrocities Mr. Deeds and Little Nicky and writing the terrible Ready to Rumble. He deserves to be put in a canoe without a paddle for this one.

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