Starring: Steve Zahn, Allen Covert, Jonah Hill, Kevin Heffernan, Ashley Scott, Peter Dante, Harry Hamlin, Robert Patrick, Joe Don Baker, Blake Clark, Justin Long, Jeff Garlin, Ernest Borgnine
Review: When a wilderness-themed television show faces cancellation, the host (Steve Zahn) and his crew go off in search of the mysterious and misunderstood Bigfoot. Okay, Strange Wilderness is a terrible, terrible, terrible movie. It's barely a movie. It seems like a series of scenes that were shot and then edited together that have a paper-thin plot to begin with involving finding the elusive Bigfoot. To most, Strange Wilderness is remarkably unwatchable, but to me...it's a comedic gem that gets funnier with every viewing. I love this movie and I am not ashamed to admit it!
Now, with all that said, this is a one star movie, but in my heart it's four stars all the way. The entire cast (Steve Zahn, Allen Covert, Jonah Hill, Kevin Heffernan, Ashley Scott, Peter Dante, Harry Hamlin, Robert Patrick, Joe Don Baker, Blake Clark, Justin Long, Jeff Garlin, and Ernest Borgnine) are all game for a movie that seemed to be fueled my a never-ending drinking game or multiple bong hits. Every scene, no matter how unusual, gets at least a healthy amount of belly laughs from me and that has to count for something. Most comedies try so hard to be funny, where Strange Wilderness is funny almost by accident. Weird one-liners, odd editing choices, and crazy character quirks get me every single time.
Don't go into Strange Wilderness with the preconception that it's "comedy gold" for all, it is not. I have a weird sense of humor and Strange Wilderness does too. It's one of those "right place, right time" movies for me. It's so bad it's good. If you liked the other Happy Madison Production Grandma's Boy, then Strange Wilderness is a good time..plus it's educational. Learn things like this - "Sharks are only found in two places on Earth: the northern and southern hemispheres" and "Monkeys make up over 80% of the world's monkey population." I had no idea!
Fun Fact: This movie began its life in the 1990s as a series of independently produced short videos by former Saturday Night Live (1975) writers Fred Wolf and Peter Gaulke. "They started out as little parodies of wildlife shows", explains co-Writer and Producer Gaulke. "Fred and I went out and shot them with the help of John Burrud, who actually has a real-life wildlife show. His father Bill used to host 'Animal World' and other travel and nature shows back in the '60s. So John helped us produce these little shorts which we eventually got onto Comedy Central."