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Wild Hogs has struck a chord with US audiences, making the film the highest-grossing comedy of the year so far. Now the tale of four men attempting to recapture their youth on the open road is set to repeat this success in the UK. Travolta plays Woody, a down on his luck businessman approaching middle age with little to show for it. He cajoles his friends Doug (Allen), Bobby (Lawrence) and Dudley (Macy) to join him in a cross-country road trip in an effort to escape his problems. After setting off on their Harleys, decked out in leather jackets decorated by Doug�s wife, the four men head for the open road with little idea of where they are going, other than the final destination. They soon bump into real life biker Jack (Liotta), in a roadside bar that gives a new meaning to the word unwelcoming. With Jack�s goons behind them, and the open road ahead, the Wild Hogs head for the quiet town of Madrid, New Mexico, where their troubles are only just beginning.

Wild Hogs is a typical high concept comedy, trading on the universal dilemmas that many men of a certain age face. Some of the movie�s funniest scenes depict the 9 to 5 tedium of the Wild Hogs� suburban existence, as they juggle the compromises of family life with a youthful yearning for adventure. Shortly after Wild Hogs hits the road, however, the film soon slips out of gear. Woody and co labour through a series of unconvincing comedy situations before the movie eventually manages to climb out of the ditch. One scene in particular, involving a sinister highway patrolman, comes across as borderline homophobic.

Once the menacing Liotta enters the frame we are back in familiar family comedy territory, but while the high-powered leads have a certain amount of chemistry, Wild Hogs never really picks up speed. While this is an enjoyable film, it seems over-reliant on its City Slickers-meets-Easy Rider set up, delivering broad brushstroke characterizations and a somewhat predictable ending. At various points in the film, thanks to the talents of Allen and Lawrence in particular, one is prepared to forgive the story�s occasional lapses. But the film keeps stalling and having to start up it�s engines again and again, leaving the cast working hard to keep up the momentum, breathing life into an under-developed script. The sequel to Wild Hogs is no doubt in the works. Let�s hope the cast insist on a bit more support next time around.