Me and my sister got passes to a sneak preview movie at our local theater. I really wish we'd picked a better way to use them...

We start out with a peek into each of the characters in their regular every day lives:

Dudley Frank (William H Macy) is the shy quiet one who doesn't do well with the ladies.

Bobby Davis (Martin Lawrence) Is a plumber who is also trying to write a book, meanwhile being ruled by his wife.

Doug Madsen (Tim Allen) is a dentist in Cincinnati with a wife and a son.

and Woody Stevens (John Travolta) all we really know about him is that his wife is a super model and is divorcing him and leaving him with no money.

Apparantly years ago Dougs' wife made them a "Wild Hog" transfer that they decided to put on the back of their leather jackets and they've been the Wild Hogs ever since. They continue to ride their bikes to the same bar and meet regularly.

Woody decided that they are not real men and should take a road trip. Of course noone knows his wife has left him and that the suggestion was probably fuiled by depression and him wanting to run away from his life.

The other 3 eventually agree to go either b/c their wife talked them into going, they lied to their wife to get away, or they wanted to meet girls. You can tell by the above descriptions which one had which reason.

Of course they have not been on their freedom trip long before misfortune comes their way in many differant shapes and sizes. From police officers, to burning down their tent, to another "real" biker gang (The Del Fuegos) and Dudleys bike getting stolen.

My first impression after the movie started was that it is rather funny. There are a few scenes on and off the bikes that can get you giggleing. But it almost borders on slapstick comedy. Like when Dudley keeps riding his bike face first into things with little or no injury b/c he "landed on his butt".

After watching for only a few minutes, you start to notice that the characters are just like most male characters in every other movie you watch. Whiny, unhappy with their lives and their wives (or lack there of) wanting to get girls and wanting to act like teenagers again with no responsibilites or worries.

Only differance is in most movies they have some sort of plot first and then the characters are assigned and given personalities. In this movie it seemed that the characters, personalities and actors had already been chosen and then the writers thought "Well shoot, now what are we going to have them do? Oh I KNOW we can put them on motorcyles and send them on a road trip b/c you know THATS never been done before!" Except for Road Trip, Around the Bend, Johnson Family Vacation...shall I go on...

The characters did have rather good chemistry together. But you throw 4 men on motorcycles together and they all usually get along don't they? Kind of like when men walk up to total strangers and play basketball together all day and then never see each other again. What I'm trying to say is that NONE of these characters really required any acting skill. They are all 4 big name actors so we KNOW they can act, but this movie didn't really require them to do so.

It also seemed to encourage any man watching to have a midlife crisis. I can't stand watching movies where someone (man or women but in this case Tim Allens character "Doug") has a really good job, a great wife, a great son and is STILL NOT HAPPY! We can all find things to complain about in life but there's something to be said about being happy with what you have.

And Bobby (Martin Lawrence) is not happy b/c his wife is on his back to go back to work or help with the kids. Well you're a married man with kids! You need to be either working or doing SOMETHING besides sitting on your butt waiting for your dreams to come true on your sofa.

Dudley (Willaim H Macy) really seems to be rather sweet and the others are constantly making fun of him. They also go WAY into his characters problems with talking to women and him trying to find women. Halfway through the movie I almost expected him to start humping a telephone pole. But instead he settled for A girl named Maggie (Marisa Tomei) who owns a diner in a town they stop in.

John Travoltas character was pretty much take him or leave him. He was mainly thrown into the cast b/c women in their 40's have been dying to see him in leather pants again since the 80's, and they needed someone to suggest a road trip at the begining of the movie. He also ends up being the character that causes most of the trouble they have on the trip by burning down the Del Fuegos motorcycle bar.

Something tells me this movie inspired many men to stop trying, sit on their butts, and stop appreciating their wives. I sure am glad my husband and father didn't want to see it.

It starts off promising and normal with 4 middle aged men going on a motorcycle road trip and then turns a corner somewhere in unrealistic-ville and ends up with them fighting bikers and saving a town. Me and my sister were more than half the way through when we looked at each other and said "what happend here? We've been laughing alot through this movie but it really is kind of stupid" There was also ALOT of gay humor. There were so many scenes involving holding each other and gay cops and skinny dipping and just general gay jokes I was expecting one of the characters to "Come out" at the end.

I say save your money..

Recommended: No

Movie Mood: Guy Movie
Viewing Method: Sneak Preview at My Local Theater
Film Completeness: A few glitches, but mostly complete.
Worst Part of this Film: Plot