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Parents' Guide to

Strange Wilderness

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Unfunny "comedy" is crude, profane, drug-filled.

Movie R 2008 86 minutes
Strange Wilderness Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 3 parent reviews

peeepeepoopooonu2
peeepeepoopooonu2 Parent of 17 and 18+-year-old
July 24, 2022
age 16+
So funny! Those saying it’s not are incredibly soft.
alot
alot Parent of 2-year-old
February 5, 2010
age 16+

this is for wierd peaple

Strange Wilderness is for people who are high and love to laugh. It is an out of the ordinary situation. And the characters are unbelievable because there faces are weird and there are glitches in the movie so I don’t recommend this movie to anybody to watch it.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Wildlife expert Peter Gaulke's (Steve Zahn) nature show -- which he inherited from his TV legend dad -- is on the brink of cancellation. His crew is made up of stoners, and his knowledge of animal life is dubious at best (sample voiceover: "Bears are a proud people, though they aren't people per se"). But he has one last shot to save the show: A can't-miss episode that will win over his station manager (Jeff Garlin). Enter flimsy plot device: A tipster says he's spotted Bigfoot and can lead Peter to where the creature lives. If Peter manages to catch the legend in action, the show is saved.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (12 ):

There's no storytelling here, and the jokes are lifeless or just plain bad. The biggest mystery in STRANGE WILDERNESS isn't whether the crew will ever find Bigfoot (viewers will likely be way past caring by the time that plot point is resolved); it's how producers managed to wrangle a fairly good cast and still turn out such a dud. Consider this: The film's "highlight" is a gag that has a turkey clinging to Peter's private parts with its beak.

Zahn has potential. He's slacker-sleepy and likable, delivering jokes without overselling them. But his insouciant charm sadly does him no good in this lackluster comedy. Really, he deserves so much better, and Judd Apatow muse Jonah Hill, who plays Peter's assistant, ought to have steered clear as well.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Hollywood is motivated to produce gross-out comedies. What's their appeal? Why are some successful (and actually funny), while others fall flat? What makes a good comedy? When does humor fall under the category of "in poor taste"? Who determines what counts as "bad taste" to begin with?

Movie Details

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