Hundreds of Beavers and all the images you see in this review are owned by SRH
Directed by Mike Cheslik
It’s always interesting when my local theater gets a movie in for a single screening. I’m curious what the motivation is for something like that, as they did the same thing with Cade: The Tortured Crossing. Is there just someone on staff who really wanted to see it, or do they think it’s got enough juice in this town to fill the theater once before interest fizzles out? In any case, this strange little comedy that I’ve barely heard anything about certainly caught my eye with its odd trailer, so perhaps the person they brought this movie in for was me the whole time! Is this an underappreciated gem that will delight whatever audiences can find it, or is this better off being screened to as few audiences as possible? Let’s find out!!
The Applejack magnate Jean Kayak (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews) is living his best life serving apple infused alcohol to the local fur trappers while indulging in his product as often as he can. Sadly, his life is brought to a screeching halt when his distillery is destroyed in comedic fashion, and he’s left with nothing but the clothes on his back in the harsh and frigid wilderness. He works his way from chasing rabbits to catching raccoons and eventually finds himself seeking the hand of the local fur trader’s daughter (Olivia Graves) while apprenticing under a master trapper (Wes Tank). As Jean hones his craft and is forced to seek his fortune on his own, he gets the attention of the local population of beavers, who seem to be up to something and don’t much care for this new interloper. Will Jean win the affection of the fur trader’s daughter before bumbling his way into an early grave? What do the beavers have planned to stop him from interfering with their secretive plans? Does it possibly involve a large number of said beavers? Maybe in the three digit range?
Would it come off as hyperbolic to say that this is easily the best movie of the year so far, and arguably the best comedy in decades? It certainly sounds like it, and I wouldn’t want to discount any of its comedy peers like Hot Fuzz and Walk Hard, but I simply cannot remember a movie that made me laugh this hard all the way through since I was a teenager binge-watching Mel Brooks, Monty Python, and The Blues Brothers on a daily basis. It’s a movie that is constantly surprising you with its wealth of ideas, and while some of the bits will be familiar to anyone with affection for the glory days of slapstick comedies, there’s never a moment where you can predict what the next level of absurdity will be. Sometimes it’s grounded with simple stunts and humorous pratfalls; while other times it shoots off into the realm of pure absurdism with sequences that lean heavily on green screen and animation to give us some eye-popping visuals. Perhaps the most intriguing conceit is its overall structure and pacing, which focuses more on a series of tasks for Jean to complete rather than a more traditional character arc. Oh sure, it’s there if you look hard enough and there’s a simple storyline that keeps our protagonist motivated, but the way the movie plays out is more akin to a video game than anything else, and I was surprised by how satisfying it was to watch. You’d think that watching someone slowly progress up a tech tree and repeat tasks over and over again would be the antithesis of engaging, but the jokes keep it from ever feeling repetitive, and it’s weirdly compelling to watch him get better at what he’s doing and how that causes the situation to escalate. Few movies can keep topping itself the way that this does, and it all leads to a finale that is one of the most inspired sequences in comedy history and will ensure this film’s place as an all-time classic. The slow burn and steady pace of progress is a riot on its own, but the film pulls out all the stops for the third act and its impressive that movie seemingly so lackadaisical with its storytelling manages to surprise you with a few twists and turns that make you want to rewatch just to see if you can spot more of the clues in between the bouts of howling laughter.
It’s amazing how, just a few months ago, I was watching Fool’s Paradise which evoked the same era of early film comedies and I had the thought that this is the best we can get; that there’s just no place in the modern world for the kind of gonzo slapstick that was exemplified by Chaplin, Keaton, and the Three Stooges. Little did I know that at the same time that movie was boring Hulu subscribers across the country, this was touring festivals and delighting audiences with its thorough embrace of the art of slapstick. That said, this shouldn’t be read as an old man yelling about how movies from a century ago were better than what the whipper-snappers are into now, because despite the film wearing its influences on its sleeve, it is a genuinely modern approach to the genre which makes it stand alongside its forebearers rather than tucked in their shadow. The video game style pacing is the big swing towards modernity, but from top to bottom, this was made to be a contemporary movie for younger audiences. To go into specific details would give away too many of the jokes, but its humor is aimed squarely at Millennials and Gen Z audiences; those of us who grew up on Newgrounds animations, YouTube comedy skits, and a steady stream of silly memes. If I were to say anything remotely negative about this movie, it is a little overindulgent. The pacing in the middle can feel a bit saggy even though it pays off handsomely by the end, and the plot takes a little too long to get rolling. It feels like the movie was conceived as a laundry list of really funny gags with a simple plot structured around it, but once you have your structure in place you might need to make a few cuts, and the scenes of him chasing rabbits early on gets close to tedious; especially since we’re still unsure of what the movie is and its clearly in no hurry to get us there. Even so, I’m glad that I got to see those jokes, and I don’t think it’s something that will linger in your mind after seeing the mind-boggling finale.
It’s movies like this that remind me of why I wanted to be a critic in the first place. Sometimes the stars will align, and you’ll find yourself in a theater with no idea of what you’re getting yourself into, only to see something that isn’t just great but a genuine masterpiece. I have not been this happy coming out of a theater in a very long time, and there are few movies I would recommend as highly as this. Thankfully, the film is getting its VOD release very soon after spending over a year on the festival circuit, which gives you no excuse to miss out on the best comedy you are likely to see all year! If anything can top this movie by the end of the year, then we are in for a fantastic eight more months, though if the new Crow doesn’t have at least one chase scene with guys in giant crow costumes, then I’m gonna be upset! I can’t help it; this movie has simply set the bar too high!
The Reviewers Unite 