Buddymoon

'BUDDYMOON': Four Stars (Out of Five)

An indie comedy about a former child star hiking through the mountains of Oregon, with his best friend; a trek inspired by the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The film stars David Giuntoli and Flula Borg, and it was directed by Alex Simmons (in his feature film directorial debut). The script was written by Giuntoli, Borg and Simmons as well; and the trio also co-produced the movie. The film has received a limited theatrical release, in indie theaters, and it's gotten mostly positive reviews from critics. I found it to be pretty funny, and somewhat charming as well.

David (Giuntoli) is a struggling actor, that's never been able to escape the notoriety of a cheesy sitcom he did as a kid. David is about to be married, and he's also preparing for a film role, he hopes to get, as the famous American explorer William Clark. His fiancé, Frankie (Jeanne Syquia), leaves him, just days before their wedding. His best friend, and would-be best man, Flula (Borg), then visits David to cheer him up. Flula convinces David that the two must go on David's honeymoon trip, that he had planned for him and Frankie; a hike through the remote mountains of Oregon, just like Lewis and Clark did.

Being from Oregon myself, I love the visuals in this film; and I also love all of the educational info, on them and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The two lead performances are both fantastic, and I can't believe how much Giuntoli reminds me of Bradley Cooper. Borg is a bit too much, at times, but he's mostly hilarious. I don't know how much of the script was improvised, it seems like a lot, but it is a great idea for a movie as well. The film is a nicely put together little indie flick!

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You can't help but feel good watching this movie. I think I had a constant smile on my face. A heartbroken, struggling actor gets dumped by his fiancé and in effort to cheer him up, his best friend decides to take him on the outdoors adventure he had planned with the ex for their honeymoon (hence the title, "Buddymoon"). The chemistry between these two friends is awesome and some of the scenes were hysterical. There were a few serious moments, but all in all, this is a really funny movie and the two leads are incredibly likable. They meet some interesting characters along their way. This movie will be equally enjoyed by both men and women.

I guess if you decide to go hiking, Fluola is one of the best choices for a partner. Unless you get annoyed by his voice, accents or general chatter (and there is a lot of it going on). But yes this is a buddy comedy (hence the title), about a guy not sure about himself or his next destination/path, so what better thing to do, than go out into the wild? Maybe there are better ideas, but for the purposes of this comedy it was a good setting.

The comedy works because of the German jester. Not all the jokes work, but you can feel that the friendship is there. There has to be some drama, but overall it does feel as real as possible, for a movie of its kind. If you don't mind the setting, than you will be entertained on this road to discovery (oneself)

I laughed through the entire movie.

But the main reason to watch this is Flula Borg. He steals every scene he's in. Just listening to him butcher English is hysterical enough, but the man is naturally funny.

Everything else about the movie is just fine. I enjoyed the photography, and the forest setting was great. The music was better than decent, but speaking of music, make sure you stay through the titles. Flula has a surprise for you.

I really enjoyed this very natural comedy and I think you'll love it as much as I did.

I thought this indie offered a nice change of pace from the usual movie fare of superheroes, crime capers, and heavy dramas, The humor, in my opinion, "won't knock you off your seat" but there are laughs here, some charm, and some wonderful cinematography of the Oregon woods.

David Giuntoli stars as David, who's just been jilted by his fiancé Frankie (Jeanne Syquia) right before their wedding date, and he's holed up in his house feeling quite depressed. Flula Borg co-stars as Flula, who's David's best friend (they're actually friends in real life). Flula convinces David to go on his planned honeymoon hike with him anyway, which will help ease the blues once he's outdoors.

The rapport between the two, who are polar opposites in personality, works well with Flula being wildly gregarious while David is reserved and introspective. The remainder of the movie will track their adventures through the Oregon woods, meeting various characters along the way and playing effective pranks on each other. The film also effectively intersperses segments of the actual journal of explorer William Clark, who in 1805 traversed the same areas in the famous Lewis & Clark Expedition.

Overall, not everything in this movie works but as mentioned it offers a change of pace from the usual fare and for its minimal 1 hr. and 19 min. running time it was a decent watch for me.