Rating 8/10
Hold onto your trapper hats for the comedy of the year! Here’s what I like to see: an utterly unique and creative film. Hundreds of Beavers is a dialogue-free, live-action, black-and-white slapstick farce that takes stylistic cues from Looney Tunes, video games, martial arts flicks, and silent-era comedies. It’s kind of hard to describe, but I’ll do my best.
In the wilderness of 19th-century North America, we meet Jean Kayak (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews). He’s a successful maker of applejack which is a popular alcoholic drink of the era. One day, a beaver inadvertently triggers the destruction of his farm, leaving him stranded in the unforgiving winter landscape. Distraught and destitute, Jean seeks refuge and assistance in the nearby frontier town. There he stumbles upon a fur merchant (Doug Mancheski) who offers him an opportunity to profit from every pelt he brings back. This sets the stage for a series of comedic and adventurous encounters.
Jean will go toe-to-toe with rabbits, wolves, raccoons, and a bevy of eccentric beavers who provide a succession of pratfalls and funny scenes. A mishap will leave him injured, but he’ll subsequently learn the tricks of the trade from a seasoned trapper (Wes Tank) and trade with a Native American (Luis Rico) for better gear. In his quest, he and the merchant’s daughter (Olivia Graves) will develop a mutual attraction. However, the merchant (Doug Mancheski) demands “hundreds of beavers” for her hand in marriage. Jean will attempt to catch that many to prove his worthiness as a potential suitor.
Hundreds of Beavers is a creative work of art from writer Mike Cheslik (Lake Michigan Monster), who is making his feature directorial debut. Cheslik co-wrote the script with his buddy and star Ryland Brickson Cole Tews (Lake Michigan Monster). This is a visual spectacle that can be enjoyed for its craft. The animals are portrayed by actors in full-sized mascot costumes. Dozens of running gags abound. For example, a capriciously shifting wind extinguishes Jean’s campfire time and again. A woodpecker appears and starts pecking his head whenever he involuntarily makes a wolf whistle. Jean’s route of various traps is visually mapped for the viewer with a little role-playing character like in a video game. The physical comedy is first-rate. Without words, Ryland Tews brilliantly channels his inner Buster Keaton in the lead role. However, Jean Kayak is even closer to the equally iconic Wile E. Coyote. That is, if he attempted to capture hundreds of road runners.
I sat in awe, amazed at the level of creativity unfolding before me. This is basically a wordless picture, so it forces other aspects to make up for what audiences hear. From delightfully expressive puppets to creature designs and special effects, even the musical score by composer Chris Ryan changes style depending on what’s happening on screen. Also, the whimsical sound design punctuates the actions with amusing audio embellishments. If there’s a criticism, this lighthearted chronicle is too long to justify the 108-minute length. That’s a minor quibble. 2024 has given us a plethora of releases that haven’t elicited much of a response from me. Hundreds of Beavers is one of those movies where I give a “dam.”
Hundreds of Beavers is streaming on Fandor and available to rent on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.
04-30-24
One Response
I agree. This was so much fun and had me laughing throughout. The creativity was so different from anything I’ve seen. I agree, it could’ve been a little shorter as there was a bit of repetitiveness. But overall, I loved it! 4 ⭐️