Old Dogs: Review By Vamp

Well I went into this movie with pretty much no expectations. I hadn't really seen very many previews or anything for it, or anything. I didn't think it was going to suck, and I didn't think it was going to be amazing. I just thought, "Eh? What the hell?" So I went in with the hope of seeing something good because I do enjoy Robin Williams and John Travolta's acting. I left the movie in tears of delight. It is definitely one of the funniest movies I've seen all year. Robin Williams and John Travolta worked great together to bring us a comedy that was mildly reminiscent of "Wild Hogs," another movie that brought attention to what it's like getting old. What I liked about this movie is the fact that there were about seven million different places where corniness could have popped up and played a role in the movie, but it didn't. Don't get me wrong, though, there were still a few corny parts to it, but overall most of the humor was very light-hearted and fun. What really got me was that this was a Disney movie. Don't get me wrong here, either, I have absolutely nothing against Disney, they put out a great deal of awesome movies. It just surprised me because this didn't feel like a Disney movie. It could have been any other production. It's kind of nice to know that Disney can do other types of movies (you know, aside from kids movies and the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films). So overall, would I recommend you to go and see "Old Dogs?" I'd say, "Hell yes, go see 'Old Dogs!'" It's definitely worth your time and the ticket price. So if you've seen "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" and any other movie that might have taken presidence over your seeing THIS movie, then go and see this one. It's pretty damn funny, if you ask me.

The director of this movie is a man named Walt Becker. Walt Becker you say? Well that's why this movie had the "Wild Hogs" feel, of course! Becker was the director of that film, as well. I think what Becker does best behind the camera is capture the feel of age. I know that's kind of a mean-ish thing to say, but in both of these films he captures what it's like to get older, and it really works out well for the film. So many times aging in a comedic angle is taken and made far too cliche, but Becker tries for something new, and it turns out for the films betterment, as it adds a more realistic angle that brings a huge dash of comedy into the mix. Lots of angles are used by the director in different scenes (such as the attack of the penguins scene) that bring an edge of hilarity to the mix. So overall, Becker masters the camera very well, and gives the audience a real treat as it sits in the theater and watches the movie. The writers of this movie are David Diamond and David Weissman, who both do a fantastic job at writing the story for the movie. I'm not sure on the originality of the movie overall, but it takes a new twist to the "I have kids?!" angle that's refreshing and fun to watch. I think the most interesting part about the writing of this movie was the fact that even in the scenes where you wanted to cry (and believe me, there are actually quite a few of these scenes), they throw in some humor so that you're not completely down. It doesn't make you laugh outright, but it makes you smirk a little. It's a very subtle effect, but I thought it was very nice overall. Stopped the movie from getting too depressing or anything. Working together, Director Beckman, and writers Diamond and Weissman do a very good job at concocting a fun movie for all ages to enjoy.

This movie isn't really a visuals movie, too much. In comedies like this you don't usually need a lot of visuals, whereas in other comedies, which rely on sight gags, you need them. I guess you could say that this movie was a little bit of both. Most of the humor you got by paying attention to what the characters were saying. Smart humor, some people call this, I suppose. While at other times, the movie does use sight gags. I'm not really sure if the gorilla that was used in the movie was real or not, but it definitely worked to help the movie's amount of hilarity. It was definitely a very real looking gorilla, and it made the parts with Seth Green work especially well. I also really liked the penguins that attacked them. They looked like little aqua-torpedoes attacking them in the water, and it was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. I guess there is one more visual I could bring to attention. This is the part where some pills get mixed up, and John Travolta's character gets partial face paralysis. This is one of the cornier parts, but it definitely works very well. The Joker-esque smile that won't go off of his face is so ridiculous-looking that you can't help but laugh your ass off as he goes around the movie trying to win a golf game to win over some clients. Likewise, in the same scene, Robin Williams' character is having some slight depth perception issues, and his antics while trying to play golf are quite hilarious, as well. Overall, the visuals in this movie aren't very large, but really add to the overall hilarity that the movie manages to portray.

Now, as I've already mentioned a little bit before, the movie has the same feel that the movie "Wild Hogs" did, and that works for the film very well. It's not a copy of "Wild Hogs" at all either, it just uses the same basic premis: two men are getting too old to continue on with what they're doing, but still go on trying to do that anyway, while at the same time a very grudging stiuation presents itself. This is a very fun concept if it is worked right, and in "Old Dogs," it definitely is worked very well. I'm thinking that director Walt Becker really knows his cards in this field, and I'm sure that had someone else done the directing for this film, it might not have turned out the same way. It's a volatile film, if I do say so myself. The plot and such, in the wrong hands, might have turned out disastrously wrong. However, it's best not to dwell on what COULD HAVE happened, and focus on what we actually got. And what we actually got was a very entertaining, funny, heart-warming, and at times, tear-jerking movie that will definitely make a fine addition to all of our DVD-shelves some day. I've read a couple reviews that said this movie didn't manage to keep any interest from the audience, but from what I got in the theater, we all loved it. It really was one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time. So I really don't know what movie these reviewers went and saw, but I'm almost sure it couldn't have been this one. Overall, the storyline of the movie is an older concept, that is twisted into something new and entertaining, that ultimately leaves you warm-hearted and laughing as you leave the theater, which ultimately, I am sure, was the goal of the filmmakers when this movie went into production.

The movie begins with Charlie (played by John Travolta of "The Punisher") and Dan (played by Robin Williams of "The Birdcage") who are best friends, and the CEOs of a very prestigious sports managing company, which they run with the help of a man named Ralph White (played by Seth Green of "Austin Powers in Goldmember"). They are going for a walk through the park, and complaining about the various aspects of life. They also begin discussing what's going to be going on in their next deal, which will either make or break their career in the business that they've been running for thirty years. Dan begs Charlie not to tell the story he always tells about Dan's divorce, and trip to Miami, and Charlie tells him that he's GOT to tell it because it's always good to get the party to laugh and feel good before the real presentation goes. However, after continuous complaining on Dan's part, Charlie agrees not to tell it. That proves to be a lie when they get to the actual presentation, and Charlie begins telling the story. Apparently Dan was very broken up after his divorce, and Charlie takes him down to Miami, Florida for some drinks on the bitch and a really good time. While down there, Dan met a woman named Vicki (played by Kelly Preston of "Death Sentence") whom he instantly fell in love with, and by the end of the night they ended up marrried. However, when he woke up, he realized the error of what he'd done, and gotten a divorce, becoming the only man that Charlie had known to have gotten two divorces in a twenty-four hour period. This story does prove the lighten up the mood of the foreign investors, and their translator, Amanda (played by Lori Loughlin of the television show, "Full House"), tells them that they've never laughed that much, and by the end of Dan's presentation that got down to business, things were looking up for the company. As Dan and Charlie are celebrating in their recreation room, Dan gets a notice that says he got a call from Vicki. Charlie is surprised, but Dan had been dating Vicki for the past sixth months, taking things nice and slow this time. Vicki wants to meet with Dan because she's in New York, and hasn't seen him since their one-day marriage in Miami. When he goes and meets Vicki. Vicki starts telling Dan why she really came out to meet him. She was going to jail for a bit of radical protesting she did for the stream near her house. However, Vicki's kids don't know that she's going to jail. They just think that she's going to be going to a spa for the two week sentence. The kids are going to be staying with her best friend, but she wanted them to meet their Dad. Dan almost does a spit take as he realizes that these kids were his from that weekend in Miami. Vicki tells him that she was all prepared to live out a life as a single mom when Dan wrote a letter to her explaining his feelings, and she knew that her kids had to meet there father. And bam, in come the two kids, Zach (played by Conner Rayburn of "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story") and Emily (played by Ella Bleu Travolta in her first movie role), and Dan is suddenly thrust to the amusement park where he starts getting to know his kids. That night, as he takes Vicki and her friend home, Dan accidentally injurs Vicki's friend and hospitalizes her. Vicki is now hysterical because she has no one to watch the kids while she's away. Dan tells her he will do it, and in desperation she agrees. Dan then tells Charlie what is going on, and Charlie is not happy when he finds out that Dan is going to drag him into this as well. After getting kicked out of his all-adult apartment building for trying to sneak kids in, Dan has to move into Charlie's condo with the kids. What ensues is a very interesting and fun story as Dan tries to level with his children and learn the ropes. All of the actors and actresses involved in this movie do a terrific job at their roles, mastering them. Robin Williams especially does a great job as the main character of the movie who has to learn his way into responsibility no matter what it takes. John Travolta also steps it up as he plays the best friend whose dragged along into this. Conner Rayburn and Ella Bleu Travolta both do a terrific job at playing the two kids who are thrust into their father's arms at an awkward moment in time, and Kelly Preston does a great job at playing their Mom. Cameos from Lori Loughlin, Seth Green, Justin Long, and even the late, great Bernie Mac offer up some great entertainment, and round off the acting for the movie. Overall everyone involved in the movie do a great job with their respective roles, and really deliver great performances. DEFINITELY a great job on the casting for this movie.

All in all, this movie was HILARIOUS, and definitely one of the funniest I've seen out this year. Would I recommend you to go and see it? Hell yes I would. Robin Williams and John Travolta prove to be one hell of a funny onscreen duo, and I hope to see them work together on more movies in their career. They worked very well together. When other reviews said that this movie doesn't manage to keep anyone's interest, I was slightly worried about what the outcome would be, but after seeing the movie, I was slightly confused about what movie it was that these reviewers saw because "Old Dogs," as I've repeatedly said throughout this review, was one of the funniest movies I've seen all year. So if you're looking for a good film that will pick up your spirits and warm your heart, then "Old Dogs" is definitely the movie for you to go and see. The directing is awesome, the writing was done very well, the visuals (what there were for visuals) were great, the storyline was excellent, and the acting was fantastic. Overall, the movie was very well put together, and adds itself as one of my new favorite comedies. So if you had any doubts about going to go and see this movie, then banish them and go and watch the movie. I am almost POSITIVE that you will not get disappointed with this film in the SLIGHTEST. I know I didn't!!!!!