Movie Review : Wild Hogs

Four middle-aged men, three stuck in dysfunctional relationships and one unable to even talk to a woman, get their motors running and head out on their Harleys in Wild Hogs, a comedy from Van Wilder director Walt Becker. Wild Hogs takes the 'let's throw in every goofy set-up we can and see if something works' approach to filmmaking and actually manages a few decent comedic moments - almost in spite of itself.



Pros

Travolta, Allen, Macy and Lawrence sell the friendship and fit together well
Enough slapstick comedy to keep it chugging along
It gets a few Brownie points for trying to include a little heart along with the laughs



Cons

Surprisingly homophobic for a studio film in this day and age
The nerdy computer guy can't use his own laptop - yeah, right!
Description
Stars John Travolta, William H Macy, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, Ray Liotta, and Marisa Tomei
The actors had varying degrees of experience riding motorcycles before the film, with Travolta easily the best of the group
Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, and some violence
Theatrical Release Date: March 2, 2007
Guide Review - "Wild Hogs" Movie Review



The Story

John Travolta, William H Macy, Tim Allen and Martin Lawrence play buddies who feel the need to escape from their 9-to-5 lives and decide the best way to recapture some of their lost youth is to take off on their Harleys. The foursome includes Doug (Allen), a dentist with identity issues; Bobby (Martin), a frustrated writer forced by his domineering wife to return to the world of plumbing; Dudley (Macy), a 40-year-old virgin who can't speak to a woman if his life depends on it; and Woody, the 'leader' of the pack who instigates the roadtrip. Woody's so-called charmed life with a swimsuit model wife and successful business is all a big front, and he needs to get away with his best buds to put some distance between himself and his troubles.

Off they go and, of course, absolutely nothing turns out as they planned. Their tents burn down and they encounter a motorcycle cop who believes the men are lovers and wants to join in on the fun. Things get really hairy when they run afoul of a group of real bikers who don't like couch potato posers who think black leather jackets and a cool logo patch are all it takes to be bikers.

To Sum It Up

Although they sound like an unlikely group of actors to play friends, Allen, Travolta, Macy and Lawrence are absolutely convincing. The acting's not the problem with Wild Hogs. The film's downfall is the time spent building the backstories and showing the families of the foursome. Wild Hogs might have been much more enjoyable if it left out their families completely and just concentrated on the buddy humor, freeing up time for more slapstick comedy - the part of the film that works the best.



Wild Hogs is forgettable, but fun in parts. From bull-slapping to naked waterhole antics, Wild Hogs tries its hardest to rise above road trip movie clichés and just barely makes it.

GRADE: C+