I enjoyed this movie. I couldn't say it's a particularly great movie, but there's nothing really bad about it either. It's a perfectly acceptable way to while away 90 odd minutes. You won't be bored.

The two big names in the cast are Kevin Bacon and Sean Astin - both before they hit the big time and, in Sean's case, before he left his teens. watching Sean's character here, you'll wonder how he ever made it to Mordor!

The movie is hard to categorize. It's not really a family movie, although teens will enjoy it. It's not really aimed at adults either, though I suspect many will find it acceptable. The movie makers also seem to have a bit of problem in deciding what they're going for here. They can't seem to decide if Kevin Bacon's character is a tough mentor, an eccentric frontiersman or a raving psychopath. They also have Astin doing narration straight to camera, breaking the 4th wall. Were they going for a Ferris Bueller meets Deliverance feel?? I'm not sure and I don't think they were either.

The locations are good and the action sequences are fine. Acting is up to scratch but the soundtrack is seriously dated. As I said, this is nothing special but it's also nothing bad.

All in all, this movie is just an acceptable way to spend an evening if you can't be bothered looking for something better.

Bacon's most unknown, not to mention jerky, performance has him as a tough outdoor guide to a quartet of young boys. You dont do things his way, he'll let you have it, which he does to Astins character most of the way. The other boys are more agressive and seem pumped up about the journey, but Astins brace-faced, glasses wearing, fearful city kid is the constant target of Bacons challenges. Like canoeing down river, or crossing a creepy, rickety suspension bridge. Right there is one of the films best moments, when the boys have only one plank at a time to step on while crossing a river 182 feet below them. There are other tense scenes as well, like the crossing of "Devil's Tooth," or Astin and Bacons final run down the river, with the two flying over a waterfall. The other boys are decently played, but are so tough on each other that at times it gets unpleasant. The story is told in some sort of flashback, with Astin making comments right into the camera, and then picking up back in the woods with him looking a couple years younger. The explanation on that is the film went unreleased for 2 years and I guess they thought it would be interesting for an older Astin to add commentary on his trek a couple years later. It comes off ok. Of note as well is the great soundtrack that features some great Cutting Crew and Bruce Hornsby songs. The violence is kept pretty low till the end, when Adlers character trashes Bacon with an array of objects causing him to plummit into a ravine. The climax deals with Astin toughing the river to get Bacon help. Its nicely shot but could've used some music to bring out the drama. But even without it the film is very exciting all the way through.

I like the bit where they paddled a canoe over the water fall.