Where to watch Without a Paddle
3 Stars
Three friends, whose lives have been drifting apart, reunite for the funeral of a fourth childhood friend. When looking through their childhood belongings, they discover a trunk which contained details on a quest their friend was attempting. It revealed that he was hot on the trail of the $200,000 that went missing with airplane hijacker D.B. Cooper in 1971. They decide to continue his journey, but do not understand the dangers they will soon encounter.
Without a Paddle is a cheerful and raucous comedy that, while entertaining for the most part, overstays its welcome by about 15 minutes. The film features an unlikely trio—Lillard, Shepard, and Seth Green—who successfully convey a sense of camaraderie and shared history. Its silly plot, centered around the quest to recover D.B. Cooper’s lost treasure, serves as a backdrop for a wilderness adventure that feels reminiscent of both The Goonies and Deliverance. Directed by Happy Madison regular Steven Brill, it’s easy to envision Adam Sandler and his usual collaborators in these roles. Still, given Sandler’s many opportunities, the responsibilities fell to the current cast members.
As a fan of Burt Reynolds, I was disappointed to see that he appears only in three scenes totaling about 8 minutes of screen time, intended as an homage to Deliverance. Additionally, an obnoxious subplot involving vengeful hillbillies threatens to shift this light-hearted romp into darker territory. Overall, Without a Paddle is a sentimental and energetic comedy that captures the essence of the second golden era of the arrested adolescent subgenre.
Directed by: Steven Brill
Written by: Fred Wolf, Harris Goldberg, Tom Nursall
Starring: Matthew Lillard, Seth Green, Dax Shepard