Why did two Hollywood legends star in a film critics called a turkey?

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Old Dogs, a 2009 comedy starring John Travolta and Robin Williams, was a box office success that critics universally loathed. Despite a $96.8 million global haul, the film was panned for its script and physical humor, earning multiple Golden Raspberry nominations and landing on lists of the year's worst movies.

Released in November 2009, Old Dogs follows two sports marketing partners who suddenly find themselves caring for seven-year-old twins. The production, directed by Walt Becker, featured a high-profile cast including Kelly Preston and Seth Green. Behind the scenes, the project was marked by personal tragedy; it was dedicated to Bernie Mac, who passed away in 2008, and Jett Travolta, the son of John Travolta and Kelly Preston, who died in 2009.

Critical reception was overwhelmingly negative. The film holds a 5% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewers describing it as "stupefyingly dimwitted" and "badly written." Critics like Roger Ebert and those at The Salt Lake Tribune criticized the hammy acting and disjointed editing. Despite the critical drubbing, the film performed respectably at the box office, grossing nearly $97 million against a $35 million budget, and found moderate success on DVD, earning over $20 million domestically in its first two months.

The film's narrative relies on slapstick tropes, including accidental prescription drug mix-ups and a chaotic sequence at a zoo involving a gorilla and penguins. While some reviewers, such as Carrie Rickey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, found the absurdity "just good enough," most saw the cameos and physical gags as attempts to mask a thin script. Ultimately, the film serves as a curious case study in the gap between professional critical consensus and commercial performance, leaving many to wonder what drew its stars to the material.

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