Wild Hogs Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)March 11th, 2007
Mild "Hogs"
by Homer Yen
(c) 2007
The humorous pickings are slim at best right now,
with the last grin-filled film released before
Christmas. That was "Night at the Museum".
Gazing at the multi-plex choices, I look at a
poster that shows a comedian-gone-serious whose
face is scarred with a prime number, a chained up
nymphomaniac, and a serial killer who has never
been caught. Those are maybe a bit too heavy on
such blustery DC days that teeter between the
somber and the frigid. On the one hand, with the
general lack of inspired springtime choices,
"Wild Hogs" is sort of a welcome comedy even
though it has very mild aspirations. And yet on
the other hand, given the talented and funny
actors that inhabit this film, the whole project
seemed devoid of any real spark.
It starts off awkwardly, like an engine badly in
need of a tune-up. We are introduced to the four
"Hogs" in an opening sequence that is just
woefully uninspiring. Cue the corny, cartoonish
music and the ham-fisted setup that hammers home
the idea that when men become slightly overweight
or overly cautious, life is coming to a halt.
Doug, Woody, Bobby and Dudley are all friends.
They live lives that are either ho-hum or in a
state of decay. Doug (subdued Tim Allen) is a
frumpy dentist who can't earn the respect of his
son; Woody (caffeine-loaded John Travolta) has
lost his wife and his fortunes; Bobby (muted
Martin Lawrence) is the milquetoast husband; and
Dudley (genial William H. Macy) is hopeless in
pretty much any endeavor he undertakes.
Apparently in their youths, they were a couple of
wild and crazy guys. But family life and
suburbia have numbed them. Woody convinces them
to embark on a cross-country trip on their
motorcycles. Leave the cell phones behind and
let the road guide them towards the uncharted
horizon.
These four are an odd bunch. It's not that they
seem ill-equipped to handle anything out of the
ordinary (because, hey, that's what gives us
opportunity for laughs), but you'll be
hard-pressed to believe that they are even
friends to begin with. As one character put it,
they're just a bunch of "posers". They look more
believable behind the wheel of a Mercedes 4-door
coupe with a Starbuck's in their hands than all
leathered up.
Of course, a road trip isn't any good unless
there's the possibility of violence. And the
Wild Hogs find it when they cross paths with a
group of real bikers, led by Jack (Ray Liotta).
The foursome hide out in an out-of-the-way town
where they also have a chance to rekindle a
little bit of what made them friends in the first
place.
Alas, the Harley doesn't make the man. It's the
man that makes the Harley. And these four never
quite earn their cred. Still, "Wild Hogs" is a
more-or-less amusing trip that they wind up on.
The slight recommendation is because I was
surprised by John Travolta's performance, enjoyed
the various cameos, and I could see myself asking
my friends in 10 years to join me on a similar
trip. But in this film, with such talent, it
should have been hog wild.
Grade: C+
S: 0 out of 3
L: 0 out of 3
V: 1 out of 3
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Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
