Wild Hogs (Blu-ray) (2007)

"...[a] clever premise and quartet of appealing comedic star turns...  Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter
"...an enjoyable enough ride for the undemanding viewer.  Joel Meares, FilmCritic.com

Editor's Note Walter Becker (NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VAN WILDER) directs this tale of four friends who hit the open road. Woody (John Travolta), Doug (Tim Allen), Bobby (Martin Lawrence), and Dudley (William H. Macy) are middle-aged suburbanite buddies stuck in a rut. Doug, a dentist, yearns for respect from his pre-teen son and everyone else in his life. Bobby is a henpecked husband and unhappy plumber. Computer programmer Dudley is a flop with the ladies. And Woody, who seemed to have it all, has just lost everything. Each weekend the foursome takes to the streets of Cincinnati on their motorcycles as the "Wild Hogs." With his world secretly falling apart, Woody hits on an idea: a "Wild Hogs" road trip to the Pacific Coast. Soon, the four are embarking on the adventure of their lives. But when they stumble upon a roadside dive in New Mexico filled with "real" bikers and raise the ire of Jack (Ray Liotta), who is the leader of the Del Fuegos, the Wild Hogs discover that they are in for a greater adventure than they expected, including a showdown in the sleepy New Mexico town of Madrid. Travolta, Allen, Lawrence, and Macy have fun here, from the verbal barbs to the physical comedy, and Liotta works surprisingly well as a "real" biker who is disgusted and insulted by these weekenders. The perpetually effervescent Marisa Tomei appears as a Madrid local who catches Dudley's eye, and John C. McGinley is an overly enthusiastic highway patrolman repeatedly encountered by the foursome. Watch for an all too brief appearance from EASY RIDER star Peter Fonda, and an amusing segment from Ty Pennington of EXTREME HOME MAKEOVER. Despite the star power in this film, which was shot on location in New Mexico, it's the custom bikes and open road that really shine.

	John Travolta
	M.C. Gainey
	Marisa Tomei
	Martin Lawrence
	Ray Liotta
	Stephen Tobolowsky
	Tim Allen
	William H. Macy
	Brad Copeland - Writer
	Christopher Greenbury - Editor
	Gregory Van Horn - Art Director
	Kristin Burr - Executive Producer
	Michael Corenblith - Production Designer
	Robbie Greenberg - Cinematographer
	Stuart H. Pappe - Editor
	Teddy Castellucci - Original Music By
	Todd Lieberman - Producer
	Walt Becker - Director

Variety 5 of 10
Male menopause spews a lot of exhaust in "Wild Hogs," a high-concept middlebrow comedy with Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy as staid suburbanites who decide to discover America a la "Easy Rider." Peter Fonda actually turns up in the closing reel, yet one suspects fictive Captain America is spinning somewhere in his off-highway grave...No players are seen to their best advantage (Liotta and Tomei seem especially nonplussed), though Travolta has amusing moments of bogus bravado...Presentation is polished and pacey enough, with America (the U.S., that is) looking duly worth discovering for the scenic splendors backdropped in Robbie Greenberg's widescreen lensing. Soundtrack makes predictable use of retro party anthems by Grand Funk Railroad, Foghat, AC/DC and others. - Dennis Harvey