Strange Wilderness (2008)

A different way of telling a story

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

"Maximum antics, minimum laughter." - My review of Weekend at Bernie's II.Adam Sandler's production company "Happy Madison" has been known to make other comedies starring many other different actors. It seems they gathered up a group of pretty well known actors for Strange Wilderness, just not all of them are there. This is the kind of comedy that will rank in its favor when it gets its debut on Comedy Central at midnight.Steve Zahn is one of my favorite actors today simply because he can play as anyone. He was lovable as the idiot brother in Joy Ride, fantastic as the deadbeat in Riding in Cars With Boys, and here he does the best he can with the material he has to work with. Sadly, he doesn't do too much and neither does his character.Zahn plays Peter Gaulke, a likable shulb who is struggling to keep the pace of his father's television show Strange Wilderness. The main problem is not only is he incompetent, but so is his crew (composed of Kevin Heffernan of "Broken Lizard," Jonah Hill, Justin Long, Allen Covert, and Ashley Scott).After a stern warning from the Television executive Ed (played amusingly by Jeff Garlin), the gang schemes to buy a map that leads to the urban legend Bigfoot. Once they get the map, they run amok in every cliché possible.For example, the Junior character (Justin Long) character is a heavy pothead, which is already disappointing seeing a great actor not all there. Once they find out they need $1,000 for the Bigfoot map, at the Dentist where Fred (Covert) and Peter are getting their teeth fixed, Junior decides to steal a heavy tank of laughing gas worth about, hmmm, $1,000. Most illogical or a mere coincidence? Humor is present, but when it comes it's not strong enough to keep you laughing. Which is why Strange Wilderness is poor in the field is shouldn't be. Humor is subjective, and I believe some will be able to dive into Strange Wilderness and laugh the day away. This film greatly reminds me of Weekend at Bernie's II. There are constant crazy antics but only about a third of them are actually funny. The rest, well, aren't.Strange Wilderness has a lively cast, but the script is below average and the directing sub-par. It's shocking that this actually had a limited run in theaters seeing as there is nothing remotely special about it. It's the perfect example of why more companies should start investing in crafty independent films rather than just dead-in-their-tracks comedies.Starring: Steve Zahn, Jonah Hill, Justin Long, Peter Dante, Allen Covert, Kevin Heffernan, and Ashley Scott. Directed by: Fred Wolf.

Strange Wilderness is a good, if not particularly memorable, stoner comedy revolving around a young slacker (Steve Zahn) who inherits a wildlife television show from his father. Unfortunately, he and his stoner buddies manage to get the show canceled, and their only hope is to get footage of Bigfoot down in Ecuador.Sound stupid? Well, it is, but it still manages to get a lot of laughs, even if they are not particularly original. Some of the highlights, such as a dentally challenged shark, are well known from YouTube, but there are still plenty of laughs to be had, including a scene involving a decidedly ferocious turkey. The whole thing is held together by Steve Zahn, whose charisma makes even many of the lamer jokes funny.The film definitely has flaws. Many of the jokes, particularly in the first half, fall flat, and Jonah Hill does little with his character other than act stoned. Furthermore, many of the jokes are easy to predict in advance. Still, it's a great comedy for a boring afternoon.

This film definitely deserves a place in the history of cinematic film.... right there next to "The Attack of The Killer Tomatoes" and "Plan 9 from Outer Space." I really don't remember the last time I saw a movie this bad.It almost seems that the same philosophy of "f*** it let's just push on" that is applied within the film, was applied to the making of it.The cast is filled with talented people who generally make me laugh and I enjoy seeing on the screen (Jonah Hill, Steve Zahn, Alan Covert and Ashley Scott; who doesn't necessarily make me laugh, but is nice to look at) as well as a host of other memorable Hollywood veterans who all, more or less, deliver decent performances.However, the script, the plot, the tastelessness of some of the scenes (MOST of the scenes) and the general lack of actual comedy in this wreck, would have barely made me chuckle if I'd been hitting the bong myself.Though I saw the film for free, by the end of it I was ready to demand my money back.Yeah I know, I didn't pay a dime to see it, but somehow I still feel cheated.

pro: I watched the entire thing.Bit w/ eyelid-eyes was great--should have used it all the way.con: I watched the whole thing hoping for another good bit.It never came.Bad timing! Stretched out.Dull. (repeated shark bit far too many times.) It's not a coherent whole, but a bunch of (not to funny) skits.Timing is key, and the timing is badly off.Even stoned it's not funny.Amazed they got money to make it.My first instinct at the end of the film was to look-up the producers to see who was nuts enough to back this lame concept poorly executed.