Stupid humor ? it?s part of what makes the ?college? genre of movies thrive.

Like it or not, movies like National Lampoon?s Van Wilder are part of the newest and hottest wave in movie scripts.

Skeptics may see previews for Without a Paddle, released in theaters this week, and think that it?s just another mediocre movie with just enough plot to make at least half the jokes funny.

This movie does not live up to the clich? of movies geared toward the college generation. Why? Because, get this ... The jokes were actually funny!

Four life-long friends have always had the ambition to find the mythical treasure of an airplane hijacker who abandoned the plane with $200,000 in the 1970s. The movie flash forwards to the present, where one of the friends dies.

The three remaining find their friend Billy has continued to put together information about the crash and has created maps and information on how to find the money.

Now imagine for a moment the most uptight, tech-savvy city-dweller you can think of, and you?re picturing the character Dan Mott, played by Seth Green (Austin Powers).

Pair him with two guys stuck in their teenage years, both in maturity and intellect, and you?ve rounded out the main cast. Matthew Lillard (She?s All That) and Dax Shepard (Punk?d) play the characters of Jerry Conlaine and Tom Marshall well ? maybe a little too easily.

Upon discovering the maps, the three decide to follow the maps and find the treasure. This all seems a little juvenile, not to mention the fact that none of them have any idea what to do in the wilderness they are about to go searching through.

Of course, the ?stupid humor? category wouldn?t be fulfilled if there weren?t a few utterly ridiculous and impossible situations along the way for the characters to get involved in.

The only believable situation is when their camp site is ransacked by a bear, who mistakes Green as her baby. He is carried and forced to eat raw meat brought to him by the bear. This is by far the least amusing of the conflicts.

The truly absurd are the people the three friends encounter along the way. When they find themselves in the middle of a marijuana farm with some not-so-friendly owners, they must run to avoid getting shot.

What else would happen but the entire field goes up in a blaze, leaving the friends, the owners and even the dog high as a kite. The loss of their ?crop? only leaves the owners more upset, and they chase the intruders through most of the movie.

To get away, Dan, Jerry and Tom find a couple of hippie girls living in a tree in the woods. Figuring this is a safe place to stay, they enjoy spending some time with the ladies. The sexual tension between Green and one of the hippies is undeniable and pretty amusing.

When the marijuana farmers find the tree, the friends are on the run again, always trying to stay one step ahead.

The last person they encounter on their trek is a mountain man Del Knox, played by Burt Reynolds (Boogie Nights). This is more than a little bit out of character for the usually classy Reynolds.

The movie is predictable and the plot is far-fetched, but that is exactly what a ?stupid humor? movie needs to keep the jokes moving. Despite this, though, it far outshines recent college favorite Old School.

Even if you aren?t a fan of the crazy antics of 30-year-old men trying to be college frat boys, there is a ray of hope in Without a Paddle. The 30-year-old men are supposed to be that old. They are written realistically ? these characters are all someone you know.

As one of the funniest movies I?ve seen in a long time, I?m definitely going to see it again.

E-mail: kmills@kent.edu