Put Down Old Dogs

Don't expect new tricks, funny jokes, or much else from the new John Travolta-Robin Williams comedy Old Dogs, say critics in reviews that range from scathing to indifferent.

• "It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a turkey," writes Ty Burr at the Boston Globe, and this "pitiful family comedy about two aging buddies forced to play daddy" is the season's "blue-ribbon gobbler."

• The movie leans heavily on physical comedy but "none of it is funny," complains Michael Phillips at the Chicago Tribune. He would rather watch Travolta and Williams "sitting on a tree trunk, doing nothing, than endure their best efforts to energize this ol’ hound."
• Old Dogs isn't good, writes Carrie Rickey at the Philadelphia Inquirer, but it's family friendly, has a few "chortle-worthy" moments, and gains a little zip from numerous cameos, include one from the late Bernie Mac.

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