Tulsa World: Old Dogs

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Old Dogs

John Travolta (left) and Robin Williams star as middle-aged bachelors in the new Disney film,"Old Dogs." Ron Phillips / Disney

By MICHAEL SMITH World Scene Writer
Published: 11/25/2009 2:19 AM
Last Modified: 11/25/2009 8:18 AM

Just in time for Thanksgiving: A turkey with a pair of hams.

Longtime pals John Travolta and Robin Williams pair up in the buddy comedy "Old Dogs," in what seems a natural vehicle for guys who both became stars of ABC sitcoms in the 1970s ("Welcome Back, Kotter" for Travolta, "Mork and Mindy" for Williams).

These guys genuinely like each other, and it shows on screen in "Old Dogs." This is the only saving grace for a film without a brain in its head. This apparently led filmmaker Walt Becker ("Wild Hogs") to direct the stars in this manner: "Just make it up and goof on each other, it will be awesome, and we've got lots of old-guy geriatric jokes that we'll milk to death."

"Old Dogs" is so limp that Viagra couldn't liven it up. It's all wet. How wet? Depends wouldn't help.

Travolta and Williams are Charlie and Dan, best buds and a longtime sports marketing team that wheels and deals in big-name athletes and international deals. This portrayal is about as believable as if the actors were portraying their athletic clients; both men look arthritic in a boardroom setting.

They are barely better around kids, who are their co-stars for most of the film. The lame set-up: Seven years ago, on a bender at Miami's South Beach, a one-night-stand results in Dan (Williams) fathering twins. He learns this fact only now that the mother (Kelly Preston, Travolta's real-life wife) is going to jail. For two weeks. For political activism. Oh, brother.

The comedy comes from middle-aged bachelors who never grew up playing Daddy Dan and Uncle Charlie to a pair of 7-year-olds, and the audience finding that the kids and adults are at about the same maturity level. The film's running joke finds the men being mistaken in public as the kids' grandparents. Bow-wow.

Travolta's character is the rascal who ambles through the flick like an overly aggressive loudmouth at a sports bar, trying to pick up women out of his league. Williams plays the insecure doormat.

The depictions don't fit either actor well, especially considering the mania that everyone in the film is instructed to display. The surprise: The normally frantic Williams plays the calmest character in the film.

Travolta mugs for the camera throughout. Preston has the wide-eyed nervousness of a woman who's just been goosed. Rita Wilson, playing the uppity hand-model best pal of Preston's character, has the empty stare of a woman loopy on too much cough medicine.

What's unbelievable is that the picture is being marketed as a family film. Little ones won't be able to decipher what's going on here outside of the slapstick moments on a camping trip and at a zoo. Children older than 10 will find the old-people humor about as much fun as sitting at the kiddie table this Thursday when the bird is carved.

"Old Dogs" is a woofer badly in need of tricks.

OLD DOGS

Stars:
John Travolta, Robin Williams, Kelly Preston, Seth Green, Ella Bleu Travolta

Theaters:
AMC Southroads 20, Cinemark Tulsa, Starworld 20, RiverWalk, owasso, Eton Square, Broken Arrow, Sand Springs

Running time:
1 hour, 28 minutes

Rated:
PG (some mild rude humor)

Quality:
(on a scale of zero to four stars)

Michael Smith 581-8479
michael.smith@tulsaworld.com By MICHAEL SMITH World Scene Writer

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forkandknife, Tulsa (11/25/2009 10:16:37 AM)

This looks to be a good one. I have never seen these two actors in the same movie before. So anxious!!!

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