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closeWednesday, Nov. 25, 2009
No well-trained laughs come from these 'Old Dogs’
No well-trained laughs come from these 'Old Dogs’
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
Trashing Old Dogs is a bit like kicking a puppy. But here goes.
The new comedy from some of the folks who brought us Wild Hogs is badly written and broadly acted, shamelessly manipulative and not above stopping by the toilet for a laugh or two.
John Travolta and Robin Williams are professionally engaged in their roles — as lifelong friends and longtime high-rolling sports-marketing business partners. Travolta is Charlie — the womanizing, back-slapping tell-the-client-a-funny-story half of the team. Sad Dan may be able to close the deal, but he’s a lonely soul, divorced, pining over a one-night stand (Kelly Preston) from seven years before.
The guys are on the verge of their biggest deal ever when "South Beach Vicki" (Preston) comes back into Dan’s life. She’s going to jail (environmental protest) and oh, by the way, Dan’s the father of 7-year-old twins. Would he mind watching them for a few weeks?
Surprisingly, few of the jokes have to do with the guys interacting with kids. Repeated "look at the cute grandparents" gags (Dan and Charlie are plainly fiftysomethings) and "We’re a couple — they’re our kids" gay jokes pepper the script. It’s mainly a movie about two men coping with faux fatherhood and pretending they’re not old at the same time.
There’s nothing offensive here, even the trips to the toilet. But when the best thing you can say about a comedy is that it’s harmless, you know these Old Dogs have lost their bite. Utterly.
Rated PG (crude humor), 88 min.
In wide release.
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