By Robert Scucci
| Published
When I was 15 years old, I rented a copy of the Without a Paddle from the local video store, and was accused of not returning the title. Since I was the last person on record to have checked the film out and it wasn’t in their inventory, and I wanted to continue renting movies, I reluctantly forked over $80 to keep myself in good standing with the proprietor. Years later, I found the DVD case tightly wedged between sections of my entertainment center, and Without a Paddle is still the most expensive movie in my collection as a result.
Now that Without a Paddle is streaming on Netflix, I wonder if it was ever worth it to pay such a hefty fee for a critically panned comedy starring Seth Green, Matthew Lillard, and Dax Shepard. After streaming the title (I lost the DVD again but it’s floating around somewhere), I can rest assured that I have zero regrets– as stupid as Without a Paddle may be, it’s the ultimate feel-good survival comedy of the early aughts, and just the kind of film that critics hate but fans of low-brow slap-stick humor will eat up.
Best Buds Reconnecting
Without A Paddle centers on three grown-up childhood friends: Dan (Seth Green), Jerry (Matthew Lillard), and Tom (Dax Shepard). Having succumbed 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 a well-traveled adventure enthusiast, and died parasailing in Costa Rica during one of his many risky excursions.
Dan is a squeamish doctor who owns a successful private practice, but has trouble meeting women because he’s the kind of hypochondriac who’s afraid of things like plastic wrap. Jerry is an unenthusiastic but successful businessman who’d rather spend all of 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 confident member of the group.
In Search Of Hidden Treasure
Gathering in their childhood treehouse that was depicted in the opening sequence of Without a Paddle, Dan, Jerry, and Tom reminisce about all of the great times they had with Billy during their childhood before going their separate ways. While rummaging through their old possessions, they’re reminded of the blood pact they made with Billy about finding a treasure hidden by a well-known con artist and adventurer named D.B. Cooper. Little did they know, Billy spent most of his adult life obsessed with the legend of D.B. Cooper and his hidden fortune, and kept adding his findings to their treehouse stash in hopes of one day retracing Cooper’s steps.
Realizing that Billy passed away before getting the gang back together and finding the treasure, the three friends decide to head to Oregon in Billy’s honor so they could make good on their pact.
Things Keep Getting Worse
Having little to no outdoor experience, Dan, Jerry, and Tom head out to the remote wilderness in Without a 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 rent the canoe from tells them that the boat has a GPS tracker so he could retrieve it after they drown in the roaring river they’re setting out to traverse, but they’re so determined that they set out with their old compass and Billy’s map anyway.
Without a Paddle quickly and continuously escalates as the inexperienced group of friends fight off a ravenous bear on more than one occasion, get thrown over waterfalls, strip naked and huddle together in the rain to keep each other warm, and accidentally stumble upon a massive drug operation ran by two unhinged hillbillies named Dennis (Abraham Benrubi) and Elwood (Ethan Suplee) while making Deliverance references (keep your eye out for a third-act Burt Reynolds cameo). As the gang finds themselves in increasingly deep water (literally and figuratively), their friendship, and their commitment to celebrating Billy’s life keeps them from turning back even though their mission shifts from treasure hunting to simply surviving the elements.
Goofball Energy And Chemistry
As outlandish as Without a Paddle may be, Seth Green, Matthew Lillard, and Dax Shepard make it work because they come off as people you’d want to get into this exact type of adventure with. At the very least, if I was about to be killed and never found in the remote wilderness, I’d want to go out singing Culture Club songs while being shot at by a drug runner who also loves to belt out his best rendition of “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” between machine gun blasts.
At the very least, a 15 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes against a Popcornmeter score of 68 percent is indication enough that Without a Paddle found its audience. Without a Paddle is not a profound film that attempts to explore the hubris of man while teaching its audience a lesson about the dangers of the great outdoors.
If you want to watch somebody get graphically mauled to death by a bear, you can go watch Backcountry.
If you want to sit back and laugh as three buddies get way in over their heads looking for hidden treasure, then you can stream Without a Paddle on Netflix.