Review of Old Dogs (2009) by Nicola W — 18 Sep 2014
Disney has put out some good movies, and some stinkers. This movie fits firmly in the latter category. John Travolta and Robin Williams phone in their performances in this uneven mix of slapstick and schmaltz.
John Travolta and Robin Williams play business partners who run a sports marketing firm, but when Robin Williams' character finds out he has children, he and Travolta have to play dad for a couple of weeks while the mother serves a little time in jail.
Nothing about the plot was fresh or interesting although, to Disney's credit, they really don't deal with much outside of formula filmmaking anyway. There were a couple of visual gags that were legitimately funny.
..the first time around. But then they just keep using the same jokes over and over again. Kids might enjoy adults getting hit repeatedly in the groin, but not me. And then to make matters worse, there's some humor insinuating that the main characters are gay, which will go right over children's heads.
Ultimately, this film is aimed at families with young children, but the humor is hackneyed at best and I don't see parents enjoying it too much. The message about the importance of family is admirable, but Disney has done much better than this in the past.
Ultimately, this won't go down in the annals of Disney history as even a good film, and it certainly is one of the worst films that John Travolta and Robin Williams have ever made. Some old dogs just need to be put to sleep.
This review of Old Dogs (2009) was written by Nicola W on 18 Sep 2014.
Old Dogs has generally received mixed reviews.
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