Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Hundreds of Beavers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 5, 2025

Co-writer/director Mike Cheslik takes on an unusual filmmaking challenge with “Hundreds of Beavers.” He’s resurrecting a silent movie approach to a cartoon-style study of survival and fur-trapping in the 1800s, going wild and wacky with the story of a man and his desperate need to bring in enough beaver pelts to win the hand of a young woman in the middle of a frozen forest. Silliness is the name of the game in “Hundreds of Beavers,” which is non-stop nonsense from Cheslik, who shows remarkable creativity with his limited budget, working with whatever he can to bring his war of animal vs. man to life. It’s a wild ride, and an exhausting one too, but before the feature loses steam with its parade of shenanigans, the production achieves an enjoyable level of madcap antics, sold via a charmingly tireless lead performance from Ryland Brickson Cole Tews (who co-scripts with Cheslik).

Arriving in the untamed wilderness, Jean Kayak (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews) looks to bring the alcoholic wonders of applejack to traveling fur trappers, building a thriving business while often getting drunk on his own concoction. The local beavers have other plans for the business, devouring the wood supports on the barrels of booze, helping to ruin Jean, who’s left with nothing as a bitter winter sets in. Desperate to survive, Jean begins to learn more about hunting, trying his luck with rabbits that remain elusive, and the fish won’t bite. Befriended by Master Fur Trapper (Wes Tank), Jean begins to understand what it takes to acquire animals for food and clothing, also encountering The Merchant (Doug Mancheski), who demands dead creatures in exchange for goods. The Merchant also has a daughter, The Furrier (Olivia Graves), whom Jean is eager to marry, only requiring hundreds of beaver pelts to purchase a ring, and the dam-building creatures aren’t going down without a fight.

The opening titles for “Hundreds of Beavers” don’t arrive until 30 minutes into the movie, allowing plenty of time for something of a prologue, focusing on Jean and his arrival in the woods. All is well with applejack and customers, but his luck soon runs out, leaving him without a business and direction as he ends up in the deep snow, left on his own to survive. Jean is not a hunter, and the picture explores this reality in full, with the alcoholic trying to capture rabbits in the wild, using whatever he can, including sexy snow sculptures, to lure the creatures in for the kill. For “Hundreds of Beavers,” there are no real animals in play, with Cheslik using full-sized mascot-like costumes for wilderness friends, which adds wonderful craziness to the exaggerated endeavor.

Jean has quite a fight ahead of him, working to steal eggs from a territorial woodpecker who loves attacking his head, and fish aren’t falling for bait, putting the human on a path to starvation. Things aren’t dire in “Hundreds of Beavers,” with Jean’s misadventures played for broad laughs, as Cheslik emphasizes outrageous elements of danger and physical pain. He also uses digital tools to replicate a silent cinema look, helping his mission to generate a massive offering of slapstick, putting Tews through incredible physical challenges, while the supporting cast makes their mark in different ways. “Hundreds of Beavers” eventually switches over to the fur trapping trade with Jean, who learns from the best, forced to handle his hunting demands in his own special ways. Laughs are periodic, but the real enjoyment of the film comes from watching Cheslik and Tews dream up wild plans for traps and escape, sold with a blend of animation and puppetry. The material is also influenced by video games, with the last half of the picture devoted to Jean struggling to acquire all the beavers he needs to buy true love with a uniquely gifted partner.

Hundreds of Beavers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Hundreds of Beavers" deals with a movie that's meant to look grainy and aged, replicating the silent film experience. It's a digital take on classic cinema, and such a creative endeavor is preserved, offering decent detail throughout this crazy adventure. Skin particulars on human characters are faintly textured, joined by the mascot costumes, which retain slight fibrousness. While a highly processed endeavor, frame information remains open for inspection, and depths around real outdoor locations are secured. Black and white cinematography is balanced. Delineation is satisfactory, handling shadow play. For unknown reasons, there are 94 chapter stops on this release, perhaps setting some kind of record.

Hundreds of Beavers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix secures a crisp listening event for "Hundreds of Beavers." There's not much in a way of dialogue, but all the grunts, groans, screams, and whistles are defined, keeping the comedic spirit of the endeavor understood. Scoring handles with sharpness, providing clear instrumentation, and songs carry distinct vocals. Surrounds work with some musical moods, while atmospherics are more pronounced, exploring different "levels" in the feature and outdoor expanse. Jokes involving separation effects are understood, and sound effects are active. Low-end is fairly mild, showing a bit more heft during climatic events, giving large-scale action some weight.

Hundreds of Beavers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet (26 pages) collect parody posters for "Hundreds of Beavers."

Disc 1

• Commentary #1 "Sober" features director Mike Cheslik and actors Jay Brown, Erick West, Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, and Daniel Long.

• Commentary #2 "Drunk" features director Mike Cheslik and actors Jay Brown, Erick West, Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, and Daniel Long.

• Commentary #3 "Wasted" features director Mike Cheslik and actors Mike Wesolowski, Jay Brown, Erick West, Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, and Daniel Long.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:49, HD) is included.

Disc 2

• "VFX Breakdown" (108:23, HD) offers "Hundreds of Beavers" in a four-panel presentation that tracks planning and digital tools used to bring the feature to life.

• Deleted Scenes (2:48, HD) is offered, following more of Jean's misadventures in the snow.

• "Great Lakes Road Show Recap" (8:00, HD) is footage from a "Hundreds of Beavers" screening tour with cast and crew.

• "Jean Kayak and his Acme Applejack" (2:41, HD) is a lyric video for the song that opens "Hundreds of Beavers."

• Sound Design Breakdowns (5:09, HD) dissects the aural experience of the picture with mixer Bobb Barito.

• "Commercials and Promos" (6:20, HD) is a collection of videos created to promote the release of "Hundreds of Beavers."

• "Podcasts and Interviews" include "Movies That Made Me" (68:02), "Movie Mindset" (51:12), and "WMSC 90.3 Montclair State University Radio." (37:33)

• "Blink" (16:54, SD) is a short film from director Mike Cheslik.

• "One Hundred Photos for One Hundreds of Beavers" (10:30) is an image gallery, displaying BTS snaps from production.

Hundreds of Beavers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

You may be thinking, "This sounds like a delightful 70-minute movie!" Well, it's tremendous fun, but "Hundreds of Beavers" carries on for 108 minutes, and one really starts to feel its length in the final act. It's a closer that includes a visit inside a massive lodge, a beaver trial, and a sled chase, with Cheslik and Tews absolutely determined to put every last one of their ideas into the final cut. There's even a subplot involving a beaver Sherlock Holmes and Watson. It's all too much for "Hundreds of Beavers," with such insanity better suited for a shorter, tighter film. Editorial efforts are excellent when selling visual gags, but less motivated when it comes to finding a way out of this collection of silly scenes. It's a very inventive picture, clearly made with love and care, but a little of this zaniness goes a long way.