Without a Paddle Blu-ray offers solid video and decent audio in this fan-pleasing Blu-ray release
When childhood buddies Dan, a successful but neurotic doctor; Jerry, a business high-flier on
the edge of burnout; and Tom,a Harley-riding wild child; reunite in Oregon at their friend
Billy's funeral, their reunion kicks off more than a little nostalgia. While reminiscing in their
childhood tree house, the trio discovers that Billy had been pursuing their boyhood dreams of
finding legendary bank robber DB Cooper's $200,000 stash. Now with the map Billy left
behind and a cereal box compass, Dan, Jerry and Tom decide to fulfill their friend's dream
and go on acanoe trip to find Cooper's cash. But when they find themselves hassled by the
sheriff at "the corner of Podunk andyou-got-a-purty-mouth," treed by a huge brown
bear who mistakes one of them for her cub, chased by vicious Rottweilers named Lynyrd
and Skynyrd, hunted as prey by potfarmers whose crop they accidentally destroy, and
battling terrifying rapids down a raging river in a canoe about to plummet over a waterfall,
they begin to wonder which oftheir ideas was worse--searching in the wilderness for Cooper's
cash, or believing it ever existed in the first place.
I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you.
Moderate-to-low expectations meet movies like Without a Paddle, a 2004 nature Comedy
that offers up a surprisingly watchable story that nicely balances humor, action, and drama.
While by no means a diamond-in-the-rough, Without a Paddle accomplishes what it sets
out to do, and delivers a far more palatable experience than its dreadful sequel, a film that basically
rehashes the plot of its predecessor but loses every last bit of charm and wit in the process.
Without a Paddle works because the humor plays in context of the story; rarely is it
forced into the film for the sake of a cheap laugh. Supported by suitably good performances from
its trio of leads -- Seth Green (Can't Hardly Wait),
Dax Shepard (Employee of the
Month), and Matthew Lillard (In the Name of the King: A
Dungeon Siege Tale) -- Without a Paddle makes for an enjoyable, though not
at all memorable, Comedy experience.
Look, a paddle! I thought we were without.
Childhood friends Dan (Green), Tom (Shepard), and Jerry (Lillard) are reunited when Billy, the
fourth of their closely-knit group, dies. Though they now lead vastly different lives -- Dan a
doctor, Jerry a businessman, and Tom a wanderer -- the death of their friend allows them to
reconnect and reminisce about what once was, a childhood that saw the foursome an inseparable
group. In Billy's honor, Dan, Tom, and Jerry set out to find long-lost treasure when
they discover a detailed map with notes in Billy's own hand identifying its likely whereabouts.
The trip will take them deep into the heart of Oregon where they will face difficult terrain,
dangerous wildlife, a pair of gun-toting drug dealers, and a pair of scantily-clad environmentalists
that live high atop a redwood. Despite cold, rainy nights and plenty of mishaps, the trio rekindle
the spirit that defined their youths and learn that life isn't just about the quest for financial
betterment.
Without a Paddle represents filmmaking at its most basic. There's nothing complex
about
the story, the film sees only a handful of special effects, and most of it plays about as lighthearted
and innocent as anything out there -- and this is exactly why it works as well as it does. The film
knows its place, doesn't overstep its boundaries, offers up some solid humor that works nicely
and
doesn't completely offend the sensibilities, and tells a predictable but nevertheless fun story that
does manage to speak on the importance of friendship and the ties that bind in both life and
death.
Without a Paddle delivers a surprisingly solid emotional foundation when the boys deal
with
the loss of their friend. Tom, Jerry, and Dan's reminiscence of Billy gives to the film a soul, and
for a
character the audience barely knew, the death actually means something thanks to both good
writing and good acting in selling the plot device. Once the adventure begins, the film slows
down a
bit but never scrapes the bottom of the barrel for material. Green, Shepard, and Lillard make for
a
solid trio, coming together and playing longtime best friends with a believable air that, perhaps
more
than any other aspect, sells the film and allows it to rise above expectations.
Without a Paddle navigates onto Blu-ray with a nice-looking 1080p, 2.35:1-framed
transfer.
Another solid effort from Paramount, the image delivers a clean, crisp, sharp, and colorful viewing
experience. Most every scene impresses, with a nice bit of depth and detail in both foreground
and background images. Most impressive are the frayed, dirty clothes worn by the drug runners;
the grease, tears, and general grime that cover them appears clearly visible and lifelike in close-up
shots. Colors impress, too, the many greens of the grass, trees, and foliage appearing bold and
natural. There are plenty of random anomalies seen on the print, including a plethora of white
speckles, but this one is fairly clear in
most every scene, with grain presence minimal at standard viewing distances. Lastly, flesh tones
impress with a stable, natural hue, and blacks appear sufficiently deep and true. Without a
Paddle continues the tradition of quality releases from Paramount.
Without a Paddle sinks onto Blu-ray with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. As to
the
pluses, the track features about what one might reasonably expect of a Comedy on Blu-ray.
Primarily dialogue-driven, the spoken word plays crisply and clearly throughout. The track
features
a slight bit of ambience, primarily heard across the front. The rear speakers, generally, are used
sparingly, though a few gunshots and sound effects spill into the back channels. The low end
only
comes to life once or twice, an explosion heard near the end of the film delivering the goods
and serving as one of the more lively moments. Unfortunately, there is a lip synch issue that
plagues a small part of the track. First noted around the 19-minute mark, dialogue is clearly a
good half-second ahead of mouth movements. The disc was ejected from the player and
re-inserted for
verification, and the problem remained. A second copy of the film verified the problem. The issue
appears much more prominent on a Panasonic
BD-30 test machine but was also evident on a PlayStation 3 running the most recent firmware,
though to such a lesser extent where it may not have even been noticed had the problem not
occurred with the Panasonic. On both machines, the problem does not remain throughout the
entirety of the film. Odd audio issue aside, the track delivers a decent listen that supports the
film nicely enough.
Without a Paddle surfaces onto Blu-ray with an average selection of extras. First up is a
commentary track with Director Steven Brill. The director speaks on the expected array of material,
discussing the technical aspects behind the making of the film, behind-the-scenes trivia, the work of
his trio of lead actors, the jokes, scenes excised from the film for pacing, the use of firearms in the
film, and more. Also included is a video commentary with Brill and Actors Dax Shepard, Seth Green,
and Matthew Lillard. Generally irrelevant but a fun listen, the participants thrive on delivering witty
banter as they share their experiences in the making of the film. MTV's Making the Movie:
'Without a Paddle' (480p, 18:11) is a basic piece featuring cast and crew recounting the plot
and reminiscing on the making of various scenes. Concluding the supplements are 13 deleted
scenes (480p, 24:08) with optional director commentary, a collection of six MTV
Interstitials (480p, 2:43), and the film's theatrical trailer (480p, 2:32).
Though certainly not the sort of film that will find its way onto all that many "top ten" lists or
scheduled for archival with the National Film Preservation Board, Without a Paddle makes
for
a decent Comedy that satisfies in context, delivering a fun script, zany but not eye-rolling-inducing
laughs, and solid acting from its trio of lead characters. Certainly far better than its copycat sequel,
Without a Paddle should satisfy most any viewer in search of a completely innocent and
lighthearted Comedy that serves no other purpose than to offer a 98-minute reprieve from the
difficulties of life. Paramount's Blu-ray release of the film delivers a fine 1080p video transfer and a
nice selection of bonus materials, but the audio track features a lip-sync problem that distracts
when present but does not hinder the entire movie. Likewise, the severity of the issue seems
dependent on the playback device utilized. Otherwise, the track delivers as-expected. Audio issue
or not, Without a
Paddle comes recommended as a rental only.
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