Up the Creek

Tim Matheson easily carries this "Animal House" follow up comedy. You get a nice dose of his sarcasm, a white water rafting competition, a dog that plays charades, a tad of nudity, good looking outdoor photography, and several inspired hilarious moments. Comparing "Up the Creek" to some other teen romps, I would have to say that it holds up quite well. "American Pie" I rate 6.5, " Animal House" 8.0, and "Up the Creek" 6.0. I'd rank it slightly better than something like "Malibu Bikini Shop" 5.5. The film is fast moving, and rarely a moment goes by without something outrageous happening. It also seems to have aged quite well, since most of the movie takes place in the woods and on the creek. I was surprised how much I liked it. - MERK

"Up the Creek" is a glorious entry in that genre known as the 1980s sex comedy. It's actually pretty funny at times, thanks to good gags in the script by Jim Kouf ("Stakeout"). It's got gorgeous gals (and bare breasts), likable heroes, priceless villains, and some very nice wilderness scenery. You really can't ask for anything more.

Some aging graduates of "Porky's" and "Animal House" play our leads, a bunch of indolent guys goofing their way through their protracted life at college. It turns out, they're the worst college students in the entire U.S. of A.! Their angry Dean (John Hillerman in a quick cameo) says that he will give them degrees PROVIDED that they win an all-important inter collegiate raft race that the Dean hopes will earn some respect for his place of higher learning.

Led by amiable lady's man Bob McGraw (Tim "Otter" Matheson), our heroes do battle with some cheating, conniving preppies (among them Jeff East of "Superman: The Movie") and some military school cadets commandeered by a vengeance minded nut (Blaine Novak) angry over being disqualified from the race.

Also along for the ride are Dan "Pee Wee" Monahan, Stephen "Flounder" Furst, lovely Jennifer Runyon ("Ghost Busters"), James Sikking ('Hill Street Blues'), Julia Montgomery ("Revenge of the Nerds"), and Jeana Keough ("The Beach Girls"). However, it's Jake the dog who easily steals the movie, especially in a delicious scene of charades. (You can tell that the dog is actually voiced by a human actor, in this case Frank Welker.) The movie opens brightly, as someone tries in vain to silence a chattery bird, and delivers enough titillation and, ultimately, outright destruction, to rate as a good time. It's hard to go wrong when the rocking title theme song is belted out by Cheap Trick. Everything is (mostly) comfortably predictable, and easy to take.

Eight out of 10.

How can a movie like this miss?

It has two veterans from "Animal House" (Matheson and Furst), Pee-Wee from "Porky's" (Monahan), the cop from "Hill Street Blues" (Sikking), a Playmate (Thomasino), a Mel Brooks regular (Helberg), and laughs aplenty. Oh, and did I mention the rapids?

"Up the Creek" just goes to show that the right elements in any movie, when they click, make the experience all the more pleasant. For instance, if you want to make a movie about a bunch of losers that compete for their college in a water rapids race against college twerps that are richer, meaner and, in one case, more militaristic, it helps if you have a cast like mentioned above.

It also helps if there's a dog on hand like Chuck the Dog. He's smart, he's helpful, he knows how to attack where it hurts the most and he plays a mean game of charades. If all dogs were this smart, humans would be in a lot of trouble.

And those rafting scenes: top notch. Not a lot of detail goes into most movies like this. But when they go to that extra trouble, it works. These guys actually did brave the rapids for this flick, the nuts.

This would make a solid rent alongside "Animal House", that is how good "Up the Creek" truly is. Besides, how many slob comedies do you know that try to visually quote the final scene in "Bridge on the River Kwai"?

Seven stars and a twenty-one canoe salute for "Up the Creek"; it serves up the comedy.

Is this flick good? Jesus, no. Is this flick funny? Somehow, yes.

"Up the Creek" has not aged well (what a shocker), but it's a perfect example of the pointless, disposable comedies they made in the early- to mid-80s. You know, the kind of film that aspired to reach the heights of, say, "Porky's."

Actually, "Up The Creek" has a pretty solid comic pedigree, at least as solid as you can get in a film like this. Two "Animal House" vets, a "Porky's" refugee, and -- I can't believe I know this -- the chick from "Charles in Charge."

Every scene, every joke, every character here is dumb. And thank God. Another review mentioned that this is a good drinking film. Actually, I think "Up The Creek" was made specifically FOR drunk people. (And possibly by drunk people.) But that's OK. It's all good. I mean, the film's not good, but then again, it is. Ah, forget it. Just grab a case, a beer bong, and watch the damn thing.

As far as low budget, cheesy movies go, Up The Creek is decent. I will not attempt to suggest that it is a great movie, but it has it's moments.Tim Matheson is entertaining, though he is playing a character not too far removed from Otter of Animal House. A good flick for a lazy, brainless afternoon.