Official Synopsis:
Conner Layne (Christopher Masterson, Malcolm in the Middle) is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, just not the one he planned on. Having discovered that his fiancée is having an affair with his best friend, he dumps her at the altar and heads off on his honeymoon solo. While experiencing the wonders that South America has to offer, including meeting two hot Swedish travelers and being robbed of all his money and belongings, he meets a friendly couple -- Darlene (Brooke Burns, "Pepper Dennis") and her husband Christopher (Johnny Messner, Tears of the Sun) -- who are planning to cross the Darien Gap, a 100-mile-long streak of undeveloped jungle that separates Panama and Colombia, in record time with a ragtag group of foreigners. Conner decides to join the group of adventurers journeying through perilous landscape for the quest of a lifetime and gets more of an adventure then he bargained for.

 
Our Take:

The Art of Travel proves that just living life is an adventure and that we can be our own superheroes without capes or super powers.  Having his whole life upended, sheltered Connor embarks on an adventure with a “go with the flow” mentality.  He is lovably clueless about the world and generally naïve at the onset but grows and matures as he makes his own way. 

A compelling story from the start, The Art of Travel blends humor, adventure, and an eccentric cast of characters and exotic scenery.  Throughout the whole thing, I kept wondering what was going to happen next, which is a wonderful feeling to have in an age when most movies are spelled out from start to finish in the trailers alone.

This DVD is without special features other than previews for other First Look productions.

The Art of Travel delivers a fascinating ride that does not disappoint from start to finish.  This is not a movie full of manufactured adventure and computer graphics, but a story about the adventures life brings no matter what jungle you’re trying to conquer.  And you just have to love a movie that includes a version of “Rainbow Connection” sung around a campfire.

RECOMMENDED!

Overall Picture:
Movie: B+
DVD: C

- Marcia Keefe
Staff Writer