Wild Hogs Is a Wild Ride, For Some

By Margaret Andrews

Often times, the quality of a Hollywood movie is inversely proportional to the number of high-caliber celebrities it contains therein. If a movie relies on star power for its box office draw, it may very well rely on that star power alone. The dialog does not need to be original or very funny, not with stand-up comics in the cast. And you don’t need the best story or character development when you’ve got enough fire balls and potty jokes to keep it afloat.

Wild Hogs opens with a brief justification in the form of midlife crises befuddling some guys who decide to “go out on the open road”. This suburban pseudo-gang, whose jacket emblems were sewn on by somebody’s wife, straps a mobile campground to their motorcycles in search of adventure during their corporate-approved one week vacation.

Cue the Deliverance and Easy Rider references.

This movie starring Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, John Travolta and William H Macy, (William H Macy — what’s he doing here?) is clearly geared toward and will successfully entertain males of all ages. It’s The Three (or, in this case, Four) Stooges of road tripping. You’ve got leather jackets, motorcycles, face smacking, poop jokes, brawling, gut punches, destruction of property, campfires, fights, male bonding, explosions, and of course, the token groin shot. And if you girls like that sort of thing, then knock yourself out - so to speak.

Mind you, there are moments that rise above the lowest common denominator. Some scenes do show off America the Beautiful while the boys ride over deep gorges and down lonely roads. Woody (John Travolta) does have a moment of enlightenment, elevating his morality, accompanied by Bon Jovi’s Cowboy. And some cameo appearances add some welcome subtlety.

While this movie also stars Marisa Tomei and Ray Liotta, it’s John C. McGinley’s very slight departure from Scrubs’ Dr. Perry Cox that sticks out in this reviewer’s mind. His portrayal of an intensely creepy cop who seems to drop in at the most uncomfortable moments, can linger in the mind well after the credits have rolled.

While a largely famous cast can set expectations too high, this movie didn’t exactly suck. An ensemble movie can still have some level of entertainment value, and Wild Hogs, while not an Oscar contender, is likely pleasing to many eyes and funny bones. Admittedly, there are a few laughs to be had in Wild Hogs, and if you want to double that number, be sure to check out the Outtakes feature on the DVD.

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