Buddy flick offers laughs, thrills for all

Everyone has at least heard of the classic 1972 movie "Deliverance," where a group of guys takes a trip down a river in Georgia backcountry and meet up with some pretty scary hillbillies. At first glance, "Without a Paddle" looks like it's going to be a rehash of basically the same story: three city slickers go on a trip in backwoods camping trip in the Pacific Northwest. "Without a Paddle" combines the excitement of "Deliverance" with the comedy and fun of a movie like 1985's "The Goonies" -- treasure hunting, friendship and fun.\nOur heroes, Tom, Jerry, Dan and Billy, were best friends as kids. After graduation, though, they all went their separate ways (as childhood friends often do). At the age of 30, though, Billy died, and at his funeral, the remaining three decide to fulfill a childhood dream and go in search of the treasure of D.B. Cooper, a legendary man that parachuted into the backwoods with his money and was never heard from again. \nAlthough "Without a Paddle" holds some thrills, as well as some sweet parts, it is, above all else, a comedy. Many of the jokes are nothing but silly toilet and sex humor in the vein of pretty much every teen comedy out there. However, I was impressed by all the nods to pop culture in the movie. \nThere is a lot of physical comedy in "Without a Paddle," but without the perfect delivery of their lines, the actors could have easily ruined this charming little flick. Especially notable is the talented Seth Green, best know as Oz on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and as Scott Evil in the "Austin Powers" movies, as Dan. Green really succeeds at softening the movie from his two manic co-stars, Dax Shepard as Tom and Matthew Lillard as Jerry. Shepard and Lillard are talented, no doubt, but their talent mainly lies in overacted physical comedy. Green contrasts perfectly with the more understated comedy which allows all three actors to shine. \n"Without a Paddle" is never going to win any awards. Some of the jokes were predictable, and the ending was too happy for real life. However, "Without a Paddle" succeeds at its ultimate goal: entertaining the audience.