Signis

Wild Hogs

(JPEG) (US, 2007, d. Walt Becker)

In the early 1990s, Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern and Bruno Kirby were three middle-aged men who wanted to get away from it all and replenish their better selves. They went west and joined a cattle drive. It did them, City Slickers all, and their wives the world of good.

Not so sure about the Wild Hogs.

John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy are the 21st century would-be temporary drop outs who want to get on their cycles - and ride. Travolta’s wife has left him and he is bankrupt (seems as good a reason to go as any!). Allen is a dentist stuck in a professional and home rut - his son would prefer to throw baskets with his friend’s father. Martin Lawrence is finishing a year off from his sanitation work to write a book, but he is henpecked and dominated by his wife - and her mother. William H. Macy is an accident-prone, obsessive computer programmer. He definitely needs to get away from it all. (Although it is his lines, deadpan reactions and accidents that are amusing.)

Off they go into the modern highway blue yonder, friends but bickering, wanting to be free but shackled by their personalities and habits. Then they meet the real bikies, led by Ray Liotta, who accuse them of being posers. Needless to say this has dire repercussions including the bikies’ dilapidated bar going up in flames.

Then they come to a nice town where everyone is pleasant (including Marisa Tomei as the owner of a nice diner) and Stephen Tobolowsky (as the meek sheriff). It’s New Mexico, so ultimately there is a showdown between bikies and Wild Hogs where the men find they are able to be men as they stand up to the bullies (after being punched and shoved down so many times) and save the town. Then, along comes Peter Fonda who tells the bikies to behave themselves and get back to the spirit of his easy riding days.

With this description, you will know whether you really want to take of with the Wild Hogs or not (but Americans did as the film earned over a hundred million dollars at the box office within a month.)

Peter Malone