I wasn’t sure what to expect when I popped in a DVD copy of Wild Hogs. The previews had looked extremely funny, but it’s the job of the editors and the studios to make the trailers enticing. The cast seemed decent and the majority of them can be funny on there own, but again this does not mean too much when it comes to making a movie. So, I approached this wearily as any non-comedy fan would.

Wild Hogs has an all star cast with big names such as John Travolta (Grease, Look Who’s Talking, Pulp Fiction), Martin Lawrence (Bad Boys, Big Momma’s House), Tim Allen (The Santa Clause, Toy Story), William H Macy (Ghosts of Mississippi, Boogie Nights, Mr. Holland’s Opus), Ray Liotta (Goodfellas, Something Wild, Blow), and Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny, Slums of Beverly Hills, Factotum). It’s hard to imagine that a cast like this could make a movie that was unwatchable although there are numerous reviews out there that would tell you otherwise. This isn’t one of them.

The movie revolves around four guys who ride motorcycles on the weekend and in a fit akin to a mid-life crisis they decide to take a week long trip across the country. Woody (John Travolta) is pretty much the leader of the “Wild Hogs” motorcycle gang. He is getting a divorce from his model wife who is leaving him since all his money is gone. Doug (Tim Allen) is a wimpy and monotonous dentist, who keeps insisting he has an all important job and who is an otherwise boring husband. Bobby (Martin Lawrence) is a whipped husband who cannot control his family and hates his job, where he is a plumber. Finally there is Dudley (William H Macy), a computer programmer that is single, awkward, and looking for love.

The four men decide that they need to do something wild and crazy before they get too old and this leads them off on their road trip. What ensues is a lot of stupid humor. Dudley refuses to go to the bathroom on the ground so he carries it around in a bag. The “bikers” hang out in a biker bar and get harassed by other “real” bikers who think they are a joke. Things fly in their face while riding and Dudley is never able to stay on his bike as he is the least experienced rider in the bunch.

Wild Hogs ends up being one of those laugh out loud, funny movies. Older kids will love this one as well. It’s not something that would appease the five year old crowd, but teenagers may find it amusing. When it comes to the replay factor, Wild Hogs is something that I could watch again, though it wouldn’t be something that I would watch often. It’s worth re-watching occasionally, but it’s not one of those addictive movies that you will need to see hundreds of times. However, if I need a funny fix I wouldn’t be against popping this one in and checking it out.

How much you will like this movie will depend on how seriously you take it. The laughs are there, but if you are easily offended or are not looking to laugh at stupid humored pranks, misogyny, gay jokes, and nagging wives then Wild Hogs probably won’t be for you. Otherwise you should love this movie.

There are plenty of special features on the DVD that include an alternative ending, a gag reel, and some deleted scenes. The longer special features include “Bikes, Brawls & Burning Bars: The Making of Wild Hogs” and “How to Get Your Wife to Let You Buy a Motorcycle”.

If you’re looking for a comedy and you haven’t seen Wild Hogs I highly recommend checking it out. You may want to rent this one or check it out when it comes on cable before buying it if you’re worried you won’t like it, but it definitely will not be a bad part of your collection for those rainy days when you need a laugh.

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