‘Paddle’ funny, but not that funny

Considering its source – Steven Brill, the director of the Adam Sandler flicks “Little Nicky” and “Mr. Deeds” – “Without a Paddle” is comparatively tolerable. Though short on laughs, the movie is an inoffensive piffle that benefits from the moronic camaraderie of stars Seth Green, Matthew Lillard and Dax Shepard.

The movie follows three lifelong pals who return home to Oregon for the funeral of Billy, the adventurous buddy of their youth.

Dan (Green) is a doctor with a healthy practice, but he continues to pile on phobias. Jerry (Lillard), a successful but bored business executive, has a girlfriend fed up with his inability to commit. Tom (Shepard) is the grown-up adolescent whose only prospect is his next state-sponsored vacation in the pen.

After the burial, they discover that Billy had meticulously plotted their childhood fantasy of hunting for the loot stolen by legendary skyjacker D.B. Cooper, who disappeared after parachuting from a plane in 1971.

They stumble onto two backwoods marijuana farmers (Abraham Benrubi and Ethan Suplee). They take shelter with a couple of tree-hugging babes (Rachel Blanchard and Christina Moore). And they finally fall in with a grizzled mountain hermit, played by Burt Reynolds.

“Without a Paddle” predictably tests the bonds of our heroes’ friendship and prompts them to reevaluate their lives. A bit more laughter would have helped wash down the sentiment, though.