DVD

On the face of it, this is a simple story. Four middle-aged men, all facing a mid-life crisis of some sort, who hit the road. Hilarity ensues and the men all learn something about themselves that will help them conquer their fears. The problem with Wild Hogs is that they’re never quite sure if they’re telling this story, or another more fantastical story about four caricatures of modern day men who enter a cartoonish world from which they can’t escape. 

By the time the movie figures itself out, the show is 2/3rds over. That final third is fun to watch, and the moments of the first vision that manage to shine through the rest of the film are decent as well. Even the extra bits during the credits are funny. It’s sad that the rest of the movie wasn’t able to sustain that level.

Also, I would like to file a complain with the federal actor’s bureau over the performance of John Travolta, who was obviously just showing up and putting on the make up for most of this film. You’re not supposed to like his character, but there should be some hint of motivation there. There were some good performances put in by the other members of the film, most notably Ray Liotta, although his character is one of the problems with the film.

Wild Hogs is available now on DVD and Blue-ray DVD. Both versions ship with a few decent special features. A documentary of the making of the film (at least someone was having fun), some deleted scenes (watch them and know why), an audio commentary with the writer and director, and an alternate ending.

Sadly, I’m just a few years away from being these characters. At least in terms of age. So I sympathized with some of their plights. In my dreams this film was written by Woody Allen, who is a master at mixing stories of the human condition, personal change, and humor. Unfortunately we’re stuck with Wild Hogs as it is.

Rating: 2.5 roadkills out of 5.
PG-13 rating is accurate, parts are not appropriate for young children.

The full press release is below the cut

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