The latest sophomoric humor film, “Without a Paddle,” takes it’s title’s cliché a little too seriously. Seth Green plays the nerd, a guy who is un-cool because he went out and got a career. Dax Shepard is the stereotypical loser who never grew up, and Matthew Lillard has a fabulous life but doesn’t appreciate it. The group goes on a camping trip and the unthinkable ensues. Sounds like one big, cliché ball of fun, huh?

But all hope is not lost. Eccentric characters can make any played out story entertaining, right? Too bad the trio failed. There is not nearly enough humor in this so-called comedy; it needed more slapstick and witticisms.

One hopes for Lillard and Shepard, of “Punk’d” fame, to spar and improvise, and therefore make the audience cackle. And Seth Green, prince of impersonations, simply didn’t get enough freedom. Green was funnier in “Party Monster,” an indie drama.

Lillard has always been a surface-humor sidekick so he didn’t disappoint much, and though Shepard was amusing, one can’t help but subconsciously wait for Ashton Kutcher to appear each time Dax was onscreen.

Don’t go to the cinema with any expectation except to be distracted. The actors’ resumes give the preconception that they could… act. While the trio can usually perform hilariously, the movie just wouldn’t let them. Or at least that’s what the audience should tell themselves.

If it weren’t for their previous performances in more worthy films, one would wonder how these boys broke into acting at all. Ouch.

The trio does show their comedic capabilities at times, but all too briefly. Other than a few quips here and there, the jokes just didn’t stand out. “Without a Paddle” is an airy comedy and any attempt at sentimentality comes off as cheesy and forced.

The film also neglected to take any opportunity at being unique. Other than the stunts they performed themselves and their interaction with a bear, the actors seemed unchallenged and too rigidly scripted. It would’ve been funnier to let the three of them sit around the campfire and improvise wisecracks.

Sadly, it’s one more movie in the trailer-exposure-yields-disappointment category: the best parts are shown in the preview. Even worse, this short-running comedy actually drags on as the audience awaits the group’s rescue.

And the final insult: Burt Reynolds as their mountain man savior. Now THAT was not in the preview. Can’t imagine why.