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.

Stereotypically, old people are boring and most of the time people don't pay much attention to what they're rambling on about. This movie proved to me why. While the dialogue flows organically for most of the film, it is usually too natural to be significant. "Land Ho!" felt like a conversation I'd overhear between two old men, which I would quickly dismiss as nonsensical after a few moments of their complaining grumbles. Perhaps Mitch's perverted comments about breasts and butts might startle one out of their stupor - but after some of his more vivid descriptions of women, I found his language bothersome, as if those lines were inserted to make the movie feel like a version of "The Hangover" featuring our favorite bachelors in their retirement (script idea?).

However, I did find the juxtaposition between Earl Lynn Nelson and Paul Eenhoorn's characters very intriguing - Nelson with his low and rumbling lazy Southern drawl and Eenhoorn's soft, clipped Australian accent were perfect examples of how to set two very different actors opposite one another and watch how they play out on screen.

Considering the story was co-written by a woman, Mitch's observations of his cousin and her friend's outfits were jarring, as if Stephens was unfamiliar with the problems of body image today. Mitch accuses their clothes of being too baggy and that they don't show enough of their figures. He even calls their outfits "matronly," while the young women giggle and roll their eyes. Mitch suggests that they need to find outfits to "flaunt" their bodies, like sheer blouses, high boots, tight pants, and lip gloss. In this day and age, such commentary is no longer funny, even coming from a crude old man.

Every scenic view reminds Mitch of a lewd (male) body part, like lighthouses and geysers. The only time we hear an inkling of feminism in the script is when Mitch advises a newly-married couple, whispering to the husband the key to a happy marriage: "She's always right."

The slow pace of the film would work if we experienced more of Iceland, but instead a full appreciation of the beautiful establishing shots of jagged hills and deserted paths come only after the first half of the film.

While "Land Ho!" was lacking in many aspects, from pacing to dialogue, the greater theme of living life to the last moment affects anyone all too aware of their own mortality. Mitch and Colin never lose their sense of humor: from Mitch farting in bed to his ghastly Hawaiian shirts, and smoking joints while Colin judges from afar in his leopard-print glasses.

As Mitch reminds us, "Life is too short to sit still."

The polar opposites of the pessimist and the optimist somehow find a way to travel together and dance in Iceland's black sand to 90's music. The importance of companionship even when we're balding is perhaps more significant than ever, when spouses have passed or moved on and children are grown up and far away.

While watching two old men bicker and chug their way through Iceland may appeal to some, it would have been more successful with wittier and snappier dialogue, faster pacing, a greater appreciation of Iceland's sweeping scenery, and an emphasis on a heavier storyline.

"Senior folks like me are best kept in supporting roles," a fellow moviegoer said with a sigh in the elevator.

I couldn't agree more.