Movie Title: Wild Hogs
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/10)
Year: 2007
Wild Hogs official site: http://wildhogs.movies.go.com/
Vroom vroom… let’s heat it up. Get ready and conquer the road. Of course that’s what for mid age guys with serious mid-life crisis think. Biking is one of the best things in life for them. Time to lay back, relax and enjoy life a little.
I can’t really imagine John Travolta in a comedy since almost 70% of the time I see him take up serious characters. So yes, this is what I am really looking forward to. Then again, with Martin Lawrence and Tim Allen… how bad could things be?
Really, what can really go wrong? For middle age guy on a road trip. Sounds seriously harmless and fun. But mama says.. never judge a book by it’s cover, so let’s see.
Spoiler begins here.
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Wild Hogs is a comedy which tell tales of 4 friends in their middle age suffering from their mid-life crisis. The only thing that keeps them alive is practically riding around with their Harley Davidson. The movie started of with a brief introduction of the four friends.
Woody Stevens (John Travolta) is a successful and rich businessman. Money is never an issue. His life is perfect and everyone is envy of him. No kidding.. having a supermodel as wife, loads of money. One word.. WOW! Everything ended soon when his supermodel wife file for a divorce and he noticed that he is down to bankruptcy.
Doug Madsen (Tim Allen) is a successful dentist. He practically never took leave from work ever since he was married. He have a great wife and son however his problem is he could not connect to his son. He tries hard bond with his son but at no vail. His health problem makes things worst when he will have to cut down on carbs and fatty food. One can really see how sad it is when he is eating only greens while his son is chewing down bacon, mash with lots of sauce and surely loads of meat. The point is, he misses his college days glory and the mad stuff he did back then which earn him the nick “The Golden Knight”.
Bobby Davis (Martin Lawrence) is a plumber that took a years off from work to complete his book. While he took a year off, his wife took over the control and bring back money to support the family. Hence, everyone in the family respects his wife more than they do to bobby. This includes his children and even his mother-in-law. He is often bossed around by his wife which makes most of his friends make fun of him.
Dudley Frank (William H. Macy) is a geeky computer programmer. He is constantly in search for his other half. At the earlier scenes where Dudley was in a café, he tries to impress a girl who seat nearby him in a café. He tries his newest invention to voice command his computer. Which of course didn’t really work well when the computer detects different words. Of course he ended up scaring the girl and everyone in the café and killing of his own laptop. Among the 4 of them, he is the worst biker and constant hit on something.
The only thing that holds this 4 guys together is biking every weekend. They each even have a leather jacket with their gang name “Wild Hogs” stitched to the back of it. One day, while stopping by at their regular joint, Woody suggested that they should do something fun instead of just looking forward to the bike parade. He suggested to the guys that they should do a road trip to seek for some fun and adventure.
Doug initially refuse to join as he is worried about his job. Matters didn’t help when his son refuse to play basketball with him, instead his son decides to play basketball with his friend’s father. Later during dinner, when his wife and son joke about him being middle age, he shows his temper and eat up stuffs that he is normally banned from which ended him in hospital. There, doctor advice him to take some day off. Which leads to him joining the road trip.
Dudley agrees to join if they would stop at places with Wi-Fi. Bobby is pretty much afraid of his wife hence he lied to his wife that he would be attending some toilet bowl seminar. The boys is then ready to set out for their road trip. Before leaving, The boys throw their phones away as they wanted a quiet trip without disturbance. Dudley is the last to throw his phone which ended up breaking a truck’s mirror. They would have to leave at once before the truck catches them and that mark the starting of their road trip.
There were loads of funny moments. After a whole day of biking, they found a place to camp over. The other boys share a camp while Bobby was busy blowing his bed. While chatting, Woody burns a marshmallow and tries to throw it away. Unfortunately, the marshmallow landed on their camp and their camp was on fire. Dudley tries to help set of the fire, however he took the wrong bottle. Instead of pouring water to put of the fire, he poured oil which instantly burn down the camp.
Dudley on the other hand refuses to pee and unload behind the trees. Instead he pack it all up in a plastic bag which disgust the other 3 guys. After being tired, they all crash on to Bobby’s bed. The next morning, they were spotted sleeping closely to each other with minimal clothing on by a local policeman (John C. McGinley). Bobby was sleeping on the land, which practically piss him off a little since he was busy blowing it up and yet he was pushed down to the land.
The policeman told the guys that their behaviour was unacceptable and not right. It turns out that the policeman is a gay and was just teasing them out of jealousy. The adventure continue as the ride on. In the process, they have loads of insects splatting at them worst when one of them have a big bird hit on them. They then found this little waterfall. They guys decided for a little swim.
Things was fine until Dudley jumps in and join them naked. Each and everyone was dared and soon all of them was naked. Out of a sudden, a family stop by for a picnic and decides to go for a little swimming. They dive in without warning and this make the guys uncomfortable. Trying hard to ask the family to swim the other side, they came out with various stories. They family found out that they were skinny dipping and ask leave the place.
The guys was relief when they saw the family left. However, they were shocked to see the policemen they they bump into before that jump in to the water naked. Feeling uncomfortable, they guys left while the policeman tries to play a little hide and seek in the water.
They then continue their journey and stop at a small biker bar where they stumble upon the Del Fuegos ( a motorcycle gang). The Del Fuegos’s leader Jack (Ray Liotta) was not happy with the 4 guys showing up thinking they were pretending to be real bikers. Jack was trying to scare the 4 guys away. However, he ended up tricking Dudley to trade his bike with a scrap metal. Being out numbered, they can’t do anything but leave the place without Dudley’s bike. The Del Fuegos then humiliate the Wild hogs saying they are nothing compared to the real bikers such as Damien Blade (Peter Fonda), the biker who establish the bar.
On the way back, Woody stop at the side of the road angry with himself as the other guys wants to go back and call this road trip off. Woody wanted the guys to continue to travel and told the guys he will be going back to take Dudley’s bike. Woody got back to the bar with courage and snap the fuel lines of all Del Fuegos’ gang member bike before leaving the place with Dudley’s bike. The guys were shocked to see Woody come back with Dudley’s bike. Woody then hides the truth and told them how he threaten the Del Fuegos with legal actions if they do not return the bike.
Woody then asked them to continue the road trip. They then drove by the Del Fuego bar to continue their journey. When they saw the Wild Hogs drive away with Dudley’s bike, they try to chase after them. Their bikes stop moving after a while and the angry Jack toss his cigarette which landed on the oil on the ground which triggers an explosion and the entire bar was burnt down. The Del Fuego then swear to revenge and hunt the Wild Hogs down.
Woody is worried the Del Fuego’s will be chasing after them hence He insist that they should only refill their bikes later. Not noticing that they have just pass by the last oil station until miles away. The guys then ran out of petrol and would have to push their bike in the desert. They started to get angry at each other. As they walk, they manage to pass by a small town, Madrid and stop by.
When they enter the restaurant, the grab any drink they could find and just gulp them down. Everyone in the restaurant was so afraid. Someone called up the Madrid’s Sheriff (Stephen Tobolowsky) as they worry the Wild Hogs would cause trouble in the town. Everyone in the restaurant was relieved when they know the Wild Hogs is being mistaken as member of the Del Fuego.
The people in town is being very friendly and asked the Wild hogs to stay back since the petrol station would only open tomorrow and that they have a Chili Festival later that day. Woody initially didn’t want to stay but was forced to since the petrol station will only open the next day. The Wild Hogs then set back, relax and enjoy the carnival.
They were pretty much enjoying themselves until Woody, Bobby and Doug is being challenge to pat the bull by the sheriff. Woody was the first to go. Surprisingly nothing happen when he pat the bull’s butt. Doug is next to do the stunt. While he is on his way, the sheriff told Woody and Bobby that no one have ever successfully do it 2 times in a row and now that they have awaken the bull.
Bobby and Woody is out to save Doug. They were running around trying to divert the bulls attention when they all manage to get out from the door. However the door that locks the bull isn’t shut properly and ended up hurting Bobby.
Dudley on the other had found his dream girl. At the Chili Festival, Doug bump in to Maggie (Marisa Tomei) who happens to be the owner of the restaurant as well. Dudley has fallen head over heals with Maggie and decided to ask her out for a little dance. Dudley then ask Woody for some help and dancing lessons. After the dance lessons, Dudley is all out to impress Maggie which he did very well in the first place. However he later on panicked and started his own moves. Maggie is impressed and followed Dudley’s steps.
At that festival, two of the Del Fuego’s spotted the Wild Hogs and contacted Jack. Jack ordered them to not touch any of them and leave it all to him. Thinking that he is untouchable due to Woody’s previous legal explanation, Bobby humiliates the del Fuego’s bikers by spraying ketchup and mustard on them. The Del Fuego’s member was angry and would kill Bobby if it wasn’t for Jack’s order. The town then praise the Wild Hogs thinking they are the saviour of the town.
That night, everyone is enjoying themselves while Dudley tells Maggie how he felt. Maggie felt the same way about Dudley and they both spends the night together. The next morning, the Del Fuego’s arrive at Madrid and looks for the Wild Hogs.
The Del Fuego started to tear down the restaurant and yell out loud and ask the Wild Hogs to come out. Woody had no choice but to reveal to the other members of the Wild Hogs that he didn’t actually scare them with his legal explanation. Instead he cut off their fuel line which causes the bar to explode. The guys was disappointed and hide at Maggie’s house opposite the restaurant.
Dudley then went out to look for the Del Fuego’s as he didn’t want Jack and the rest to wreck the place. Dudley fails terribly and was being hanged in the middle of the road towards the exit of the town. They try to come out with a plan to save Dudley but failed. The all was captured. Woody then suggested they fight as a man and do a one on one fight.
The Wild Hogs continue to take punches after punches from the Del Fuego’s. However they keep insisting that they continue the fight which very much amaze Jack. Although they were beaten up terribly, they refuse to step down to protect the restaurant. Later, the whole town came out with their household weapon, preparing to fight against the Del Fuego’s.
The problem was solved with the appearance of Damien Blade. Blade was angry that the Del Fuegos were chasing after this guys for burning down the bar that he has insured for. He told the Del Fuegos that they have been laying back too much and not know the true meaning of biking anymore. The Del Fuegos then leave the place in shame.
Later on Bobby and Doug’s wife arrive in the town. Bobby’s wife was furious that he lied to her. Bobby then took up the courage to tell his wife that he dislike being controlled by her and they end up with a mutual understanding. Doug manage to impress his son by telling him his adventures. Doug on the other hand told Maggie that he would be back soon to look for her.
The four later continues their journey and arrived at Pacific Coast. There, they saw many beautiful and sexy girls in bikini. This time around, Bobby, Doug and Woody crash themselves when they ran towards some guys carrying a surfboard while Dudley is safe.
During the ending credit, it is shown that the Del Fuegos got themselves a new bar thanks to the Extreme Makeover Home Edition… all thanks to the Wild Hogs. The member of the Del Fuegos was overjoyed and cried. There were also several personal interviews with the Del Fuegos member. Each tries hard to hold back their excitement and tears.
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Spoiler ends here.
Before watching, many tell me how funny this movie was and how it could relax me. Well… it wasn’t exactly that funny but well, I do it’s part to make me laugh at some parts.
I think John Travolta and Tim Allen didn’t really shine out in this show. Too common.. too professional until they lost the humour sense. I somewhat think William H. Macy and John C. McGinley was cool enough. They fitted the role perfectly and really carve some smile on my face.
I know and understand that this movie is suppose to be a comedy hence plot isn’t really important. I actually don’t really mind about the plot but I just hates it when things get a little jumble up and worst, I felt some of the scene were deleted.
I think the ending was a little rushed and bad. The movie started of fine but ended badly. The scene of Bobby and his wife… I seriously never get how their problem was solved. No idea what make Damien Blade to suddenly appear. According to my knowledge, it’s all thanks to the sheriff. but if the sheriff knows how to inform Damien Blade, the town shouldn’t have any problem with the Del Fuegos previously rite?
Well despite that.. one would really have to see how a guy sings the Pussycat Dolls song – Dontcha.