Old Dogs finds the incomparable duo of Robin Williams and John Travolta teaming to show off their buddy-movie skills, and drive a sometimes-funny, sometimes-poignant set of wheels around town. Dan Rayburn (Williams) finds out after a seven-year absence that his one-night fling, Vicki (Kelly Preston, Travolta's real life wife), has returned to him with twins in tow. They are, of course, his, and his relationship with business partner and best friend Charlie Reed (Travolta) are put to the test.

I enjoyed Wild Hogs, Walt Becker's last flick, and Van Wilder, an earlier outing, certainly gained esteem among the young adult crowd. But while his latest moves in stutter-stops and starts toward its reliable conclusion, lightly tied together between various sketches, its moral imperative is obvious nonetheless at the end. My favorite scenes include the mixing and matching of various pills (and their effects), but in this saccharine family film it is of course completely accidental. Some parents may take offense at the obvious intoxication which leads to the fling via flashback, but the actual "dirty" moments are few and far between. The laughs are spaced apart as well, and more of the clever moments are provided by the witty dialogue than bodily orifice jokes that might have previously made Williams' humor work.

Both Williams and Travolta bring joy to the screen, even if some of the pieces seem to be a stretch. Their outtakes on the special Blu-ray version show that the two seem to have some serious fun with each other, but unfortunately, that didn't always translate to the film itself. After a two-year hiatus from the screen, since delivering the funnier License to Wed and the poignant August Rush, Williams has had a streak of average fare... and that's being nice! Obviously, it was finished prior to August 2008 (Bernie Mac, who appears in a cameo, died on the 9th of that month), but it's also a bit bizarre to see Preston and Travolta playing up the "happy" in light of the death of their son, Jett, in January of 2009.

The film has been routinely slammed by critics, and I'm not going to start screaming about how great it is. But it is earnest, and moral. Seriously, what movie shows a guy who had a fling taking responsibility for his actions, instantaneously? Who does that in Hollywood? And even after the expected missteps and screwups, Williams' Rayburn comes to the light, on his own. It's a testament to family, friendship, and responsibility, and, while not the best thing I've seen this year, it certainly does show that old dogs can learn new tricks.