the audience applauded

Please don't spend money on this.

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Land Ho! is an endearing comedy-drama, marketed to the pensioners/AARP crowd, which normally gets left out of the Hollywood/mainstream buzz. It emerges following a very similar film, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which, in a way, proved to American audiences that you can make a film involving elderly people that isn't so fixated or concerned with imminent death. That film gave life to the senior citizens crowd, invigorating audiences with the idea that just because you're a senior citizen doesn't mean, in turn, you must stop living life. As common sense of a statement as that seems to be, I feel many people have forgotten that and feel something of an obligation, or perhaps a lack of desire, to refuse to live their elder years past three meals a day, the newspaper, and excessive quiet-time.The film revolves around ex-brother-in-laws Colin (Paul Eenhoorn) and Mitch (Earl Lynn Nelson), who reunite after years of lost contact to spend some time reclaiming their youth by visiting Reykjavík nightclubs and taverns. The two geezers are polar opposites, as you'd expect, with Colin being very mild-mannered and reserved and Mitch being quick to tell you what body part of a woman he'd make use of the most. The two spend much of their travels inciting aimless conversations about women and sex, eventually picking up two women and going drinking with them one night, along with trying to leave the ills of the past as someone else's responsibility. They weren't necessarily responsible for the demise of the marriage, and they simply want to enjoy some element of adventure and companionship before their inevitable fate.This kind of life-affirming cinema for elderly people is a beautiful and honest way to paint the picture for people that glory days aren't always the days of your youth. Colin and Mitch engage in some activities I'm sure no one expected them to, and while they weren't the youngest at the nightclubs, or the souls with the quickest wit on the street, they still no less had a pleasant time with one another and found more happiness in that moment than if they would've spent it alone.Land Ho! is a relatively low-stakes film and it operates on a very safe playing field. Much of it is predicated off of these aforementioned conversations that feel like talk of momentarily horny old men who haven't had sex since the last solar eclipse. It's meditative and humble style of filmmaking, in addition to the frequently beautiful photography of the Iceland region, is reminiscent of David Gordon Green, which makes it no surprise that he appears as one of the film's producers. In addition, the way cinematographer Andrew Reed decides to capture Iceland, through beautiful, wide-angle shots sets to melodic tunes of yesteryear, makes Land Ho! is a decidedly peaceful movie-going experience, even with all the camaraderie occurring.With that, the writing/directing team of Martha Stephens and Aaron Katz craft a film that works because of how real it feels, although it misses the opportunity to have the two characters engage in more heartfelt discussions about topics of a little more sustenance. However, its evasion of that is also part of its charm. This is a film about embracing one's willingness to continue celebrating life even when society says that you should simply sit down and live your life in solitude. By going out, drinking, smoking, and engaging in their own adventures, the characters of Colin and Mitch beautifully rebel against societal conventions and their own eccentric personalities make for a slight, well-made little doodle of a film.Starring: Paul Eenhoorn and Earl Lynn Nelson. Directed by: Martha Stephens and Aaron Katz.

Imagine your ex-brother-in-law invites you on a trip to Iceland: first-class air tickets, nice hotels, good restaurants, a comfortable rented van. Now imagine your ex-brother-in-law is a dirty old man, obsessed with younger women, who spouts unwanted unsolicited advise, and is a generally all around annoying person. Unfortunately, Colin, portrayed by Paul Eenhoom, failed to remember those facets of Mitch, played by Earl Lynn Nelson, and ended up spending far too much time in his company. The audience will also find they have spent more time than necessary with Mitch, who may have a generous heart, but is a boorish companion. Written and directed by Aaron Katz and Martha Stephens, "Land Ho" is described as a road trip movie, but the film, which is short on road and long on talk, could be more aptly compared to "My Dinner with Andre" than to "Easy Rider," although Mitch does like to inhale regularly.Obviously shot on a low budget, perhaps as a labor of love, the film is somewhat amateurish, the acting seemingly non-professional, and the writing unfocused. While set in glorious Iceland, the movie fails to celebrate the island's natural beauty. Instead, Mitch talks and talks, Colin listens and listens; the film might just have well cut the travel budget and been set in Ohio. Perhaps spending 90 minutes in the company of two elderly gentlemen, who share anecdotes and wisdom gleaned from their lives throughout a motor trip together, could have fueled an intriguing film. However, listening to Mitch impart silly advice to embarrassed newly weds, offer tips on dressing to an embarrassed niece, or graphically describe women to an embarrassed Colin wears thin. While "Land Ho" is earnest and not truly bad, the movie is overly talky, and the audience will leave both admiring the tolerant Colin for his infinite patience and hoping no ex-in-laws show up with similar offers of "free" travel.

I've always been suspicious of titles that end in an exclamation point ever since reading "O Pioneers!" in my high school English class. What makes a "!" necessary in a title? Is it to express excitement or a sense of urgency of what I'm about to experience? Or is it Sony Pictures Classic yelling the title of the film "Land Ho!" at me? The film's name could easily ditch the punctuation, as it was neither exciting nor titillating enough to deserve it."Land Ho!" is a story written and directed by Aaron Katz and Martha Stephens, telling the story of two old men; Earl Lynn Nelson plays a gruff Southerner named Mitch, while Paul Eenhoorn portrays Colin, a timid Aussie. The 60-something ex-brothers-in-law set off on a road trip through Iceland in an attempt to lift their spirits after failed marriages and tragic romances.Read my full review here: http://tinyurl.com/k8gxjcv

Two aging ex-brothers in law - the extroverted, lovable and slightly embarrassing Mitch, and the more introverted, sad-sack Colin take off for a getaway to Iceland. Their adventures are low key and episodic, but the comic rapport between the two men makes it hard to stop smiling. There's no big catharsis or lesson learned, no moment when the smiles turn to tears, nothing that screams 'important movie'. Just an enjoyable hour and a half spent with two eccentric old guys finding themselves and each other on the road in a strange place. The film looks very nice for it's tiny budget, and the two lead performances by Earl Lynn Nelson (a surgeon in real life) and Paul Eenhoorn (an accomplished Australian actor) create a fun naturalism that feels as authentic as if it was all improvised, with us just listening in on these two quite lovable older men.