‘Wild Hogs’ movie review: a broad but enjoyable ride

NOW STREAMING ON:

Broad but mostly enjoyable, mildly entertaining comedy has its moments but mostly feels like a waste of comedic talent.

John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, and William H. Macy star as a quartet of middle-aged would-be bikers who decide to take a road trip to re-claim some of their youth.

Along the way they come across the usual pitfalls and pratfalls, eventually coming across a vicious biker gang headed by an over-the-top Ray Liotta.

Film might have played better with a darker edge; we know exactly where this is headed, and never believe anything truly bad could happen.

Liotta is effectively menacing as the leader of the Del Fuegos, but the tension between the gang and our heroes that envelopes the second half of the film is mostly deflated. Comedy is dulled throughout; occasionally amusing, never laugh-out-loud funny.

Cast still has plenty of charm, however, even in a middling effort like this one. Peter Fonda shows up late for a half-hearted cameo. Ultimately unmemorable.

Wild Hogs

SHARE THIS POST

Picture of Jason Pirodsky

Jason Pirodsky

Jason Pirodsky has been writing about the Prague film scene and reviewing films in print and online media since 2005. A member of the Online Film Critics Society, you can also catch his musings on life in Prague at expats.cz and tips on mindfulness sourced from ancient principles at MaArtial.com.

One Response

  1. Wild Hogs is an putrid misfire that should be forever relegated to the annals of forgettable films, a cringe-inducing showcase of stale humor, tired stereotypes, and a plot so feeble it could barely support the weight of a feather. Instead of providing genuine laughs, it subjects its audience to a parade of tired and offensive clichés, reducing its characters to one-dimensional stereotypes that border on caricature. The attempt at humor relies heavily on tired tropes that were better left in the past, leaving viewers with an overwhelming sense of secondhand embarrassment.

    Once-respected actors such as Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, and William H. Macy, have been inexplicably dragged into this cinematic abyss. It’s disheartening to witness these talented performers squander their abilities in a film that feels like a desperate attempt to salvage a career or, perhaps more tragically, to pay the bills. One can only hope that they have since purged this regrettable blip from their filmography, and that viewers will be spared from enduring such mediocrity in the future.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *