Wild Hogs

Starring: Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy, Marisa Tomei, Ray Liotta
Directed by: Walt Becker
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Adventure, Action, Comedy
2007

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Four friends (Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy) decide to take a road trip on their bikes to get away from it all and reclaim some of their manhood through the adventure. Things don't go exactly as they planned, however...

Review:

Tim: I have to be getting senile in my old age, because I actually enjoyed this movie. The trailer made it look absurd, and it is. But, that doesn't stop it from being funny as well. I most enjoyed this movie because it has good intentions. It really wanted to be a funny, interesting movie about four friends. While it often fails in this endeavor, the effort and the desire were there.

I actually did enjoy the casting of Tim Allen, John Travolta, William H. Macy, and Martin Lawrence as four middle aged friends taking a biking trip together. Some have claimed their ability overpowers each other, but I thought it was interesting seeing four actors each used to their own space crammed together like this. Allen is perhaps the most enjoyable. Travolta looked like he was trying too hard. Lawrence surprisingly played it somewhat low key and managed to be enjoyable. And Macy- perhaps the "best" actor of the bunch, just seemed absurd and out of place. I found the least entertainment in him.

The rest of the cast is actually very good, too. Ray Liotta is perfect as the leader of a real biker gang. He has some of the film's best lines, and adds a needed boost of energy to the film. He was very, very good. I also loved seeing Marisa Tomei, although her romance with Macy was perhaps the film's weakest point. I also loved John C. McGinley in a small comedic role.

There are some legitimately hilarious moments. Perhaps my favorite is early on when Lawrence has to clean a bathroom and the clerk says, "When I was young, I saw my father shot. I never cried until today." I laughed and laughed, and this is my favorite part of the film. Luckily, there are also some other really funny moments, including the skinny dipping scene, and much of the interactions with the Del Fuegos. This is not a perfect movie, but it genuinely tries to be funny, and the movie has heart. For those reasons, I can overlook some of the film's flaws, and end up considering this a decently funny movie that I am thankful was not worse.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Joe Somebody, Big Trouble