| Product: |
Wild Hogs (DVD) |
| Date: |
15.10.07 (93 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: Passes The TIme I Guess
Disadvantages: Bland, Unoriginal, Very Few Laughs, Seen It All Before
Remember City Slickers? Well if you do then why not rent out Wild Hogs, you’ll find it’s pretty much the same film but instead of horses it’s men on bikes. Now unoriginal ideas are fast becoming the norm in movie world but when such ideas pull in over $150 million in the US alone, why would they stop.
Wild Hogs tell’s the story of four guys in the grip of a mid-life crisis. One (Tim Allen) is a dentist not getting the love and respect of his son. Another (Travolta) is flat broke after his trophy wife cleans him out. Martin Lawrence plays a father whose taken a year out to write a book and get nowhere. Meanwhile William H Macy is a computer geek who stereotypically can’t get the ladies because he’s into computers.
As a cure to their problem, the four leave behind their lives and take a road trip on their motorcycles, breathing in the open road and encountering all manner of slapstick shenanigans. But is this isn’t enough, they turn up a bikers bar and meet a large group of hostile bikers led by Ray Liotta who don’t like their kind. One thing leads to another and Travolta manages to blow up their bar. What ensues is a showdown in a peaceful rural town where everyone learns something about friendship, life and love.
The thing about Wild Hogs is that’s is just a movie of tired ideas that have been told over and over. I couldn’t pinpoint one original thing that I liked, there are a couple of laughs to be had in the film but as a comedy it pretty much sucks. There’s only some many times I can see Macy lose control of his bike with mildly amusing results. There’s only one way the movie can end and that’s with everyone living happy ever after in clichéd harmony.
Don’t get me wrong, the performances are fine with the four guys being perfectly matched. Liotta pulls out the usual mad eyes but the material they have to work with is just plain ordinary.
I can see why the movie was a surprise hit, it’s just the kind of inoffensive drivel that appeals the middle age crowd who rarely go to the cinema. I’m sure there are plenty of people who long to break free of the normal lives and take on this kind of experience so perhaps the movie was a chance to get close to it.
-The DVD –
City Slickers, sorry I mean Wild Hogs is presented in 2.35:1 widescreen. The transfer is nice and pristine, of course I’d expect that from a modern release. The soundtrack follows my usual of comedy dvd’s. There’s nothing worth turning on the home cinem amp for apart from the bar explosion.
- Extras -
An audio commentary from the director highlights the brilliance of the performances and the comedy, pretty much a dull affair.
The making of is your usual clips and talking heads affair. However learning that the director sold Harley parts to fund his education was interesting, he was obviously good at it so perhaps he should have continued at that.
Another featurette deals with getting your wife on board with buying a motorcycle. This is basically a stuntman going through the positives and negatives of owning such a machine, it’s pretty dull if you ask me.
The deleted scenes section features a couple of non-event scenes and an alternate ending. Said ending features the pointless subplot of John C McGinley’s gay policeman getting wrapped up as the hogs ride into the sunset. Both endings are not great.
The Gag Reel was a final salvation for the film to have some laughs, sadly there’s nothing there.
- Finally -
You may like Wild Hogs, personally I thought it was a bland soulless affair which surprisingly made more money that expected.
Summary: A Huge Hit Is A Wild Boar
|
|
