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Which brings us back to the question of who this movie was made for. It seems to be geared to a 30-year-old like myself with all the '80s references—Ghostbusters, Culture Club, Indiana Jones, etc.—but the humor is simply too sophomoric for most adults. And yet it's filled with mature subject matter that kids will flock to and parents will cringe over. Within a couple minutes after the film credits, we get a scene with Shepard fooling around with a girl in bed. Later, a key scene involves our heroes stumbling onto a marijuana farm. Plus, how many of today's teens will get the '80s references, or even know who D.B. Cooper is?

The bizarre part is how often this film tries to pass itself as sweet and sincere. The script is peppered with bits of "gee whiz" dialogue. It doesn't match the behavior of the characters—"Hey look! A deer! Wow, look at that sunset. Now let's drink some beer!" Worse, this movie tries to deliver life lessons (Be thankful for what we have—a life worth living!) with all the saccharine sweetness of an after school special or a Saturday morning cartoon. I half expected one of the characters to declare "Say no to drugs, kids!" Oh right … the pot scene.

All in all, Without a Paddle is a sloppy effort, yet even a clichéd comedy could be fun if it actually delivered on laughs. It's tempting to enjoy this movie because of the proven formula of three guys wrestling with nature and their own incompetence. Instead, we're left with 30-year-olds acting like 20-year-olds for the entertainment of teens. You're better off leaving Without a Paddle up the creek.

Talk About It

1. Much is made in this movie (and others) about living life to the fullest, but it also makes the point of living responsibly. How do the characters in this movie act responsibly and irresponsibly? Are we able to live a life of carefree adventure and accountability? What determines how we should act one way or the other?
   
   
2. How does this film teach us to be thankful for what we have? Can you think of a time a trial or struggle helped you recognize a blessing in your life?
   
   
3. One of the film's characters ponders if there's more to life than going to work every day and developing his career. What else is there?
   
   
4. This is ultimately a movie about deep friendships. To what lengths will you go to help out or honor a friend? Where would you draw the line?

The Family Corner

Without a Paddle has everything except nudity and hardcore sex going on. The drug content refers to our heroes knocking back a few beers, as well as a key scene in which they stumble on a marijuana farm. The sexual material involves some brief shenanigans in bed and numerous references to genitalia of both sexes. There's plenty of PG-13 language. The crude humor deals with the sexual and the scatological—the good guys bomb the bad guys with poop in one scene. And as for the violence, it's mostly comical gunplay, though one of the lead characters graphically stitches another's wound. All of it fits within today's PG-13 standards, but suffice to say, it's too adult for kids—and too crude for many adults.

Photos © Copyright 20th Century Fox

Steven Brill, the director responsible for such forgettable Adam Sandler flicks as Mr. Deeds and Little Nicky (films even Sandler fans avoid), is back with Without a Paddle, a wacky adventure of dumb guys drawn along into a ridiculous adventure that they—and the audience—come to regret.

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