So far, the comedies released in 2008 have been just too dumb to be funny. “Strange Wilderness,” unfortunately, continues that trend. To See the Trailer for “Strange Wilderness,” Click Here.
The film depicts wildlife TV host Peter Gaulke (Steve Zahn), who must find a way to save his show “Strange Wilderness” from poor ratings. After his father died, Gaulke took over the once-popular program, turning it into a stoner show with a 3 a.m. slot. When opportunity arises, Gaulke and his television crew set out to the Andes to film Big Foot and engage in a series of misadventures.
Anyone who has seen Adam Sandler’s films will recognize similar faces in “Strange Wilderness.” Allen Covert (from “Little Nicky”) stars as the crew’s sound man and Blake Clark (from “50 First Dates”) plays Dick, their tour guide. Dick, of course, is subject to countless penis jokes for his name, including, “Hey Dick, does your name shrink in the cold?”
Being a fan of Happy-Madison Productions, I was looking forward to another “Happy Gilmore” or “Waterboy,” but “Strange Wilderness” was a disappointment. The film lacks any real character development because most of the characters are high or unintelligent. And unlike most of Sandler’s films, “Strange Wilderness” doesn’t have a clear antagonist.
The incidents that occur on their road trip to the Andes mountains are so unrealistic that the viewer loses sense of the plot (if there is any). At one point, the television crew must raise $1,000 to hire a renowned tracker, but they are broke. To compensate, they steal a can of nitrous oxide from a dentist and plan to sell it on the black market. The plan backfires when a nitrous oxide can explodes in their R.V. and everyone experiences a 1960s-like high with hallucinations.
Their journey to the Andes takes confusing twists and turns, and it becomes incoherent. They continuously lose money and devise new ways to earn it; their RV is confiscated by border security and then they acquire a plane. Two emergency room visits for turkey and shark bites are also added into the mix.
On the upside, Jonah Hill (from “Superbad”) and Kevin Hefferman (from “Super Troopers”) have supporting roles. Hill plays Cooker, who enjoys playing awful guitar solos; Hefferman stars as Whitaker, a recovering alcoholic who enjoys hitting people in the groin.
Even the beautiful Ashley Scott (from “Billy Madison”) can’t make up for the awfulness of “Strange Wilderness.”
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