Iceland finally gets a road trip movie with Land Ho!, a pleasant little tale about two lonely septuagenarians searching for happiness in new places. Filmmakers Aaron Katz and Martha Stephens also explore new territory by turning the genre on its head with an atypical cast and unexpected setting.

Land Ho! does not feature the typical rambunctious twenty-somethings dealing with alcohol-fueled phases of self-discovery while criss-crossing the country. Instead, the characters are neither young nor does the setting resemble anything close to Vegas. And that’s part of what makes the film so surprisingly endearing.

Former brothers-in-law Mitch (Earl Lynn Nelson) and Colin (Paul Eenhoorn) are looking to reconnect after having drifted apart since Mitch and his wife divorced and Colin’s wife died (they married sisters). When Mitch, the more boisterous of the two, surprises reluctant Colin with a first-class trip to Iceland, the two are thrust head-on to face aging, loneliness, and disenchantment together while we tag along for the ride.

The old codgers fly into Reykjavik where they rent an SUV and head out into the gorgeously rugged Icelandic countryside dotted with spitting geysers, snow-capped peaks, bubbling hot springs, and many other scenes of rustic beauty.

Almost to a detriment though, Iceland itself becomes a prominent character, co-starring right alongside Eenhoorn and Nelson. As the scenic beauty begins to take the lead, the story often becomes more about where Mitch and Colin are, and less about what’s going on. But that’s OK because not much happens anyway. Mitch and Colin become such warm, endearing characters, we settle in with being satisfied by simply watching them fling about the odd-couple chitchat.

Nelson is particularly lovable as his unapologetically foul-mouthed and borderline misogynistic banter comes off more charming than “dirty old man” and plays nicely against Colin’s buttoned-down Australian demeanor. I’d pay to listen to him narrate an informational documentary on the pros and cons of foreign currency manipulation and value-added taxes. Like a Wilford Brimley in his prime, he’s that charming.

An impromptu meet-up with Mitch’s much-younger cousin Ellen (Karrie Krouse) and her best friend Janet (Elizabeth McKee), who are also vacationing in the country, is about the most excitement we’ll get as the foursome hits the town at one of Reykjavik’s hottest night clubs. The girls put up with Mitch’s out-dated fashion advice while the two old men are forced to sip glow-stick-laced cocktails as the rhythmic beats of house music renders them virtually deaf.

Most of the film’s remainder consists of pointless talk and aimless meanderings broken by Mitch’s occasional vulgarities and Colin’s incessant sadness. We learn that Mitch was recently forced to retire and that Colin still hasn’t quite healed from his wife’s passing, but the film’s simplicity and easy-going vibe more than make up for its failure to take on any deeper topics.

Land Ho! proves that simple human contact and nature’s stunning beauty often do more to entertain an audience than even the best of Hollywood’s whiz-bang technology.

(Released by Sony Pictures Classics and rated “R” for some language, sexual references and drug use.)

Review also posted at www.franksreelreviews.com.