Wild Hogs
Buena Vista Pictures
Buy now from CalgaryMovies DVD Store!

Four hogs (aka bikes). Four middle-aged men, each quirky and unlikely friends, each facing impending midlife crises, or at least the suburban discontent that's become their reality. One solution to getting out of the daily mundane: all together now – "cross-country road-trip!"

The four men, made up of Doug (Tim Allen), Bobby (Martin Lawrence), Dudley (William H. Macy), and Woody (John Travolta) are a group of bikers who call themselves the "Wild Hogs."

Doug (Allen) is a dentist who yearns to be regarded as a doctor, to be less lame in his adolescent son's eyes, and to relive the glory days of college when he was known as the "golden knight". Bobby (Martin Lawrence) is coming off a year-long sabbatical that his headstrong wife nags him about. When his year is up, he's forced to return to his craptastic job as a plumber. Dudley (William H Macy) is a self-professed geek and computer programmer. His luck with the ladies is non-existent, and he's hapless and accident prone as a "biker." Woody (John Travolta) appears to be the most successful; married to a swimsuit model with a big house and successful job, he's got it made. Except that his beautiful wife has filed for divorce and he's broke.

Enter: an injection of adventure, freedom, and hijinks on the highway of life.

The suburban middle-aged men are also known as the Wild Hogs, as evidenced by the patch emblazoned on their leather jackets and sewn on by Doug's wife. After one of their weekly rides, Woody (Travolta) declares a cross country road trip to the coast. "What are we doing with our lives?" he asks. With nothing to lose except their routine, the friends embark on a journey of re-self-discovery, devoid of cellphones (oh no!) and rife with misadventure. Along the way their self-esteem gets a kicking when the leader (Ray Liotta) of the Del Fuegos bike gang calls them out for being motorcycle posers wanting a taste of the freedom and rebellion their current lives lack. The plot kicks into gear when Woody inadvertently blows up the Del Fuegos' bar and vengeance is vowed.

With the wattage of the four leading men this comedy offers chuckles with somewhat treacly life lessons thrown into the mix. Wild Hogs is funny without being crass, has humour in unexpected places and adept delivery by the seasoned pros. It's male bonding for the middle-aged, another take on a comedy that could have become a feast of breasts, beer, and fart jokes (though there are poop gags and gay jokes galore). This feel-good movie offers cheesy moments and a dose of introspection, or at least, a yearning to hit the road on a Harley. The ending is predictable but not entirely unwelcome. This is that kind of movie. If you're looking for a gut-buster, rent Borat.

Video: How's it look?
Widescreen (2.35:1) – Enhanced for 16x9 TVs. The picture is clear and looks good.

Audio: How's it sound?
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound with French and Spanish language tracks and subtitles.

Extras: What additional goodies are included?

• "Bikes, Brawls And Burning Bars: The Making of Wild Hogs" (15 minutes featuring actors and director interviews and insights on pivotal scenes)
• How to Get Your Wife to Buy a Motorcycle – less practical than the title suggests
• Alternate Ending/Deleted Scenes: With or without commentary by director Walt Becker and writer Brad Copeland. There are only a few deleted scenes.
• Outtakes: montage of outtakes, pretty chintzy considering the comedic backgrounds of Tim Allen and Martin Lawrence
• Film also includes audio commentary by director Walt Becker and writer Brad Copeland with interesting notes on casting and behind-the-scenes antics.

Closing Thoughts
This feel-good movie offers cheesy moments and a dose of introspection, or at least, a yearning to hit the road on a Harley. The ending is predictable but not entirely unwelcome. Wild Hogs is that kind of movie. If you’re looking for a gut-buster, rent Borat.


Review brought to you by our friend Anh. Anh Chu is a writer, preditor (tv speak for producer/editor) and not actually a bodily function like her name implies. You can reach her at choochoochoo@hotmail.com.