Movie Review : Wild Hogs

Movie Review : 'Wild Hogs' is a welcomed mid-life crisis

by Richard Romero
published on Thursday, February 22, 2007

Wild Hogs is the latest work of art from Touchstone Pictures starring silver screen favorites John Travolta, Tim Allen, William H. Macy and Martin Lawrence.

The "fantastic four" take on the roles of Doug, Bobby, Woody, and Dudley. Doug (Allen) is a dentist who is constantly ignored by his son who finds him boring; Bobby is a dreamer who is bossed around by his demanding wife, Woody is a bankrupt divorcee in denial; and Dudley is a computer programmer who just wants to meet a girl. While each man deals with their individual issues, they share a common passion for motorcycles and riding around their town as the "Wild Hogs". Early in the film, the four friends realize they have transformed into the "old, boring" people that they had always feared of becoming. After the pain has had a moment to sink in, Woody proposes a road trip to the coast to revitalize their lives. All four friends welcome the adventure and in no time are on motorcycles touring the open road.

Of course this movie cycles through the typical tribulations of the "road trip comedy" from encounters with strange cops to wandering aimlessly in the desert in desperate need of gasoline. But the film takes a different turn when the Wild Hogs meet and anger a real motorcycle gang called the Del Fuegos. The Del Fuegos are lead by the ruthless Jack (Ray Liotta) who would like nothing more than to put an end to the Wild Hogs' road trip (and possibly their lives).

The movie Wild Hogs is a comedic breath of fresh air and should hold up well at the box offices considering its main competition around the release date will be Ghost Rider, and The Number 23. With neighboring films like these, Wild Hogs should stand in a league of its own and be given many moments to shine.

While the story of a road trip is not entirely original, the movie itself is awesome considering the comedic dream cast that dominates every scene of the film. While Allen, Travolta and Lawrence play the believable roles of the "witty family man", William H. Macy steals the show with his character Dudley, who is a huge nerd that seems to know every odd fact in the world and wonders why no woman will give him more than five minutes of her time. He perfectly plays his role with every awkward line that leaves his mouth.

As if the four leads were not enough to have movie-lovers flocking to the nearest theater, the supporting cast is also something to consider. Not only are the antics of the Del Fuegos hilarious on a cartoon-like level, but so are the numerous cameos from John C. McGinley (Dr. Cox on Scrubs) who plays one "very jealous" highway patrolman.

Wild Hogs is cinematic comedy at its finest and can be enjoyed by anyone with an open mind; however, the previews can somewhat be deceiving. Due to the cast and theme, Wild Hogs can easily be mistaken for the next film in the Disney franchise.

IT IS NOT!

Wild Hogs is rated PG-13 and is very "wild" due to its crude and sexual humor. This film is recommended for families with mature adolescents who will be able to appreciate the jokes that can, at times, be far from squeaky clean.

Overall, Wild Hogs is one of the most enjoyable comedies of the month and will most definitely be a top seller once it hits DVD in stores. It may even inspire some potential bikers to stop spending their cash on ticket stubs and start stashing away for a Harley.

Grade: A

Wild Hogs is set to release in theaters on March 2, 2007.