'Without a Paddle'
(Seth Green, Matthew Lillard, Dax Shephard, Burt Reynolds / R / 91 mins / Paramount)
Overview: Three buddies go rafting on a river in search of lost treasure, but before they can find the loot, they run into a bunch of crazy mountain men.
Verdict: After watching the rather contrived trailer, I had no motivation to see this movie whatsoever. Much to my surprise, 'Without a Paddle' is a fun, genuinely entertaining comedy that features a great cast and a competent script. Although the plot line (a group of re-united childhood friends go on a wild outdoors adventure in honor of their adventurous deceased friend’s passing) and the overall structure of the story are conventional, the filmmakers never miss an opportunity to squeeze laughs out of even the most predictable scenarios. What the movie lacks in innovation, it makes up for in execution, delivering a story that is consistently funny from start to finish. Each of the cast members is great individually, and together, they share terrific chemistry. To say that any one of the three leads steals the show would be a misstatement. All three are great in their own way, and even the supporting cast lends comedic significance to the movie.