By Darren Gaskell
Leaping on to the screen, Jean Kayak (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews) celebrates his successful applejack distillery in a cheerful musical number to lift the spirits, right up to the point at which a lack of vigilance due to imbibing too much product combined with some sneaky, tree-based vandalism ends with said distillery being spectacularly destroyed, and Jean being forced to use his questionable quantity of wits to survive in the wilds.
Discovering that a local merchant (Doug Mancheski) will hand over much needed supplies in exchange for animal pelts, Jean sees an opportunity to make a name for himself, to gain revenge on the pesky, toothy critters responsible for the destruction of his business and to cash in on the added bonus of being allowed to marry the merchant’s daughter (Olivia Graves) if he can bring back…well, the title says it all. Let battle commence between Jean and beaverkind!
Dialogue free for a large proportion of its one hour and forty-eight minute running time, Mike Cheslik’s Hundreds Of Beavers opts for a delightful, demented combination of silent movie buffoonery and Chuck Jones-era ridiculousness. If you’ve seen the team’s previous effort, Lake Michigan Monster, you’ll have some idea where this may be going but even then you may not be prepared for just how gloriously madcap this is. It brims with running jokes, sight gags and fun, impressively staged action set-pieces. The laugh-out loud moments are many and the pace rarely flags as Jean progresses from staggering incompetent to would-be wilderness warrior.
As Jean, Tews shows great flair for physical comedy and his antics resemble a cross between Buster Keaton and Wile E. Coyote. The constant failure of his initial trap-setting and the inevitable, repeated, comedy kicking being dished out by a gang of beavers is sure to raise more than a few chuckles, but the film doesn’t fall into the trap of making its lead character the fall guy for the duration. However ludicrous the plot turns are – and trust me, they’re ludicrous – this is a journey for Jean in both the literal and metaphorical sense, delivered as a fine parody of wasteland adventure flicks.
The supporting cast are vital to the success of the overall piece, most notably Mancheski as the gruff merchant whose lack of respect for Jean is blindingly obvious, especially when it comes to any designs our hero may have on Graves’ flirty furrier. The romantic interludes between Graves and Tews are as goofy as everything else on show, including a bizarre sequence in which Jean’s potential love interest finds an unexpectedly modern way in which to set his heart racing.
I won’t spoil too many more of the high spots of this beautifully crafted film, suffice to say the look of the creatures, given this is a low budget move, is both thoroughly practical and utterly hilarious, as is the charmingly crude animation of Jean’s travels around the area. There are innovative (and often lethal) uses for ropes, icicles and even excrement. Yes, Hundreds Of Beavers may have the appearance of a classic silent film but that conceals a slightly darker heart than you’d expect, although the overall tone is generally jovial.
The script, co-written by Cheslik and Tews, is so crammed with side-splitting situations from the get-go that there’s a slight concern the eventual payoff will fall short. Don’t worry – it doesn’t. It’s also a tale that, unlike so many films with weird concepts, refuses to get bogged down in its middle act, as Jean’s multiple side quests bring him inexorably closer to a final, apocalyptic showdown with…well, the title says it all. The climax delivers an outlandish take on a Bond movie, complete with a foray into the beavers’ sprawling base that resembles an 80s platform game and a couple of extended chase sequences which, considering this is such a daft movie, are genuinely thrilling.
Hundreds Of Beavers is an indie oddity of the most wonderful kind, turning its do-it-yourself vibe into a virtue as its unique, ramshackle visual style charms in a way that only the meanest viewer would reject. Its comedic compositions are carefully constructed in order to get the maximum mileage from repeating them and re-inventing them, often returning for one last bow when you least expect. The punch-ups are absurd, the movie’s take on its own brand of “gore” even more so. It’s one of the smartest dumb movies I’ve ever seen. Even its own title card is in on the joke.
An absolute triumph of low budget filmmaking, the enthusiasm of all involved translates to the screen in spades. If you’re not in the mood for something unrelentingly silly then you may tire of Jean’s shenanigans early on, but what can’t be denied is the sheer skill required to produce a film with such an individual stamp. I adored pretty much everything about this. It left me with a huge smile on my face and a hankering for both a glass of that applejack and to spread the word about the legend of Jean Kayak. It’s a win for Wisconsin!
Hundreds of Beavers (2023) featured at the Fantasia International Film Festival.