You Can Teach 'Old Dogs' New Tricks, But Maybe Not Good Ones

Old Dogs manages to be incredibly stupid, predictably sophomoric and phenomenally insulting (to the audience) while still having a few great laughs and a marginally touching story. Robin Williams, at his straight man best, and John Travolta, actually rather endearing, manage to take a fairly good idea and run it right down into a sewer of complete vapidity.

Dan (Williams) and Charlie (Travolta) are partners in a sports marketing firm working with a Japanese company trying to break into the American market. Dan, the more serious partner, discovers he has twins, a boy and a girl, from a quickie marriage to Vickie (Kelly Preston). Being a confirmed non-dad Dan still tries to manage enthusiasm when he meets his progeny.

When Vicki informs Dan she must spend two weeks in jail for a crime she committed, purportedly to protect her kids, Dan offers to take the children for the two weeks of Vicki’s incarceration. Charlie, his friend and business partner for over 30 years, endeavors to help his old friend be a father to the twins. Unfortunately the pair, very successful in business, manage to come off as complete buffoons in handling Dan’s children.

After a few truly horrible failures Dan and Charlie actually catch their stride and do tolerably well at dad and uncle respectively. Of course there’s a crisis and a decision to make and naturally Dan make’s the wrong one to his way too predictable regret (think Three Men and a Little Lady).

Other than some very good belly laughs, a somewhat touching story and some undeniable chemistry between Williams and Travolta (very believable friends) Old Dogs is entirely overdone. The jokes are over the top, bordering between silly and stupid, the physical comedy has been done and done better and the children used more as props than characters.

The news is not all bad. I found myself engaged, if only marginally, in the story and wanting the resolution to which the film was so obviously heading. Please do not go see this movie for any reason other than you like Williams and Travolta, you will be sadly disappointed. I would love to have seen this movie done legitimately; with light humor but serious characters. Making a movie with such serious themes and making it totally silly was wrong and I consider it serious audience abuse.

Rating 1 star out of 5.