STRANGE WILDERNESS
Starring Steve Zahn, Jonah Hill. Written by Peter Gaulke and Fred Wolf. Directed by Fred Wolf. (18A) 85min. Opens Feb. 1.
The stoner-comedy isn’t exactly known for tight screenwriting or
technically impressive filmmaking. The finest examples of the genre
tend to be slovenly, underachieving movies that mirror the lifestyle of
the protagonists. Yet, even when held up against these low standards,
Strange Wilderness comes across as a lazy and sloppy project slapped
together over a weekend in a haze of smoke. The movie opens with a set-up that suggests a plot will follow, but instead the film devolves into a series
of loosely connected sketches featuring pathetically clichéd
characters.
Steve Zahn stars as the host of a struggling wildlife program
trying to capture Bigfoot on film. The show was a hit when his father was in
charge, but with Zahn and his pothead friends behind the camera it
faces cancellation. That just about covers the entire plot
until the film's sudden conclusion. The cast is filled with some very funny
actors (Zahn, Allen Covert, Jonah Hill, Justin Long and oddly Ernest
Borgnine) and it would be nice to say that they are able to overcome
the source material, but sadly this isn’t the case. Sure, they
contribute the occasional funny line, but the screenplay by Fred Wolf
and Peter Gaulke is so tired, unfocused, and boring that it’s shocking
it was even produced.
Strange Wilderness also marks Wolf’s
directorial debut and it shows. The man behind such classic
screenplays as Joe Dirt and Black Sheep has no flair with the camera.
Every scene is flat and static despite the fact that the movie is
supposed to be a wacky wildlife adventure. To make matters worse,
there’s also an awkward flashback structure and forced happy ending
that reeks of re-shooting and studio interference. Some entire scenes
are played in off-camera dialogue following significant rewrites that
were made in the editing room. As a result, the film can be difficult
to follow, particularly as it reaches an abrupt and confusing
conclusion. The 2006 copyright suggests that this title has been
gathering dust on studio shelves and is only getting a quick release
now to capitalize on the rising stardom of the cast. Don’t fall for the
trick. Some movies are unreleased for a reason.