If you were anywhere near a movie theater or a TV screen in late 2009, you couldn't escape it. The old dogs film trailer was basically inescapable. It featured John Travolta and Robin Williams getting smacked in the face by golf clubs, turning bright colors from "mismarked" pills, and hanging out with penguins. It was chaotic. It was loud. Honestly, looking back at it now, that two-and-a-half-minute clip is a time capsule of a specific era of Disney live-action comedy that just doesn't exist anymore.
Movies don't really get marketed like this today. The trailer leaned so hard into the slapstick that it almost felt like a dare. Could you handle this much energy? Seeing two of the biggest stars in Hollywood history—one an Oscar-winner and the other a literal comedy deity—playing guys who have no clue how to handle kids was the ultimate "high concept" pitch.
What Really Happened in the Old Dogs Film Trailer?
The trailer starts with a pretty standard setup. You've got Charlie (Travolta) and Dan (Williams). They are best friends, business partners, and, as the narrator makes very clear, they are "old dogs." Then comes the twist: Dan finds out he’s the father of seven-year-old twins.
What follows in the old dogs film trailer is a literal barrage of physical comedy. There's the "human puppet" scene where Seth Green’s character is manipulated by a remote control. There’s the sequence where Dan’s face becomes a distorted mess because of a mix-up with his medication. It’s the kind of humor that aimed directly for the 8-to-12-year-old demographic but relied on the 40-plus-year-old star power to get parents into the seats.
The trailer also makes a huge deal out of the supporting cast. You see glimpses of Kelly Preston (Travolta’s real-life wife), Matt Dillon, and even a cameo by Lori Loughlin. It promised a massive, star-studded riot. Whether the movie actually delivered on that is a debate that still rages on movie forums like Reddit’s r/movies, where the film is often cited as a "guilty pleasure" or a "total disaster," with very little middle ground.
The Robin Williams Factor
Watching the old dogs film trailer today feels bittersweet. Seeing Robin Williams’ manic energy on display is a reminder of his range. Even in a movie that critics absolutely shredded—it holds a pretty grim 7% on Rotten Tomatoes—Williams was giving it 100%.
He wasn't phoning it in.
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In the trailer, his timing is still impeccable. There’s a specific beat where he’s trying to smile while his face is essentially paralyzed by the "pills" subplot. It’s pure physical clowning. It’s the kind of stuff he mastered in Mrs. Doubtfire or The Birdcage, just applied to a much broader, sillier script. Many fans still revisit the trailer just to see those flashes of his genius, even if they aren't planning on sitting through the full 88-minute runtime again.
Why the Marketing Worked (Even if the Critics Hated It)
You might think a movie with such bad reviews would tank. You'd be wrong. Despite the critical lashing, the film actually cleared nearly $100 million at the global box office. A big reason for that? The old dogs film trailer.
It was a masterclass in "Event Comedy" marketing.
Disney knew exactly what they were doing. They cut the trailer to the song "You Get What You Give" by the New Radicals, a track that practically screams "feel-good family fun." They highlighted the most absurd moments—the gorilla scene, the jet pack mishap—to ensure that kids would be begging their parents to go.
- Broad Appeal: It targeted both the Boomer/Gen X parents (via Travolta/Williams) and the kids (via the slapstick).
- Visual Gags: The trailer relied almost entirely on visuals, making it work even on mute in a crowded mall food court.
- The "Disney" Seal: At the time, the Disney logo on a live-action comedy was a massive trust signal for families.
Basically, the trailer promised a safe, loud, colorful time. It didn't promise a masterpiece. It promised John Travolta getting hit in the crotch, and on that front, it delivered exactly what was advertised.
The "Hidden" Soundtrack Hits
One thing people forget about the trailer is how it utilized music to bridge the gap between "cool" and "family-friendly." Beyond the New Radicals, it featured Bryan Adams and even a track from John Travolta and his daughter, Ella Bleu Travolta, who also starred in the film. The trailer was as much a promotional vehicle for the "Old Dogs" brand as it was for the movie itself.
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The Legacy of the Slapstick Era
We don't see trailers like the old dogs film trailer much anymore because the "mid-budget studio comedy" has largely migrated to streaming services like Netflix or Disney+. Back in 2009, this was a theatrical staple. It represents the tail end of an era where you could put two massive stars in a room, give them a thin premise about fatherhood, and let them riff until the credits rolled.
Critics like Roger Ebert were famously baffled by it. Ebert gave it zero stars, which is honestly impressive in its own way. He called it a "dreadful" experience. But the trailer doesn't show you the "dreadful" parts; it shows you the high-octane highlights. It’s a perfect example of how a marketing team can take a critically panned project and make it look like the funniest movie of the year.
Behind the Scenes Chaos
There’s a lot of lore surrounding the production that the trailer obviously skips over. The film was directed by Walt Becker, who had just come off the massive success of Wild Hogs. He was the go-to guy for "middle-aged men having a mid-life crisis" movies.
Interestingly, the movie was originally intended to be an R-rated comedy. Can you imagine? The old dogs film trailer we know is the result of significant edits and reshoots to bring it down to a PG rating. That explains why some of the jokes feel a bit... off. They were neutered to make them palatable for a Disney audience. If you look closely at the trailer, some of the reactions don't quite match the action, likely a byproduct of that shift in tone during post-production.
Real Talk: Is It Worth a Rewatch?
If you find yourself googling the old dogs film trailer, you’re probably looking for a hit of nostalgia. Maybe you saw it in theaters when you were ten. Maybe you remember the weirdly aggressive marketing campaign.
Is the movie a masterpiece? No.
Is the trailer a fascinating look at 2000s-era marketing? Absolutely.
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It’s a reminder of a time when movie stars were the only thing you needed to sell a ticket. No superheroes. No multiverse. Just two guys and a very confused gorilla.
If you're going to revisit it, do it for the chemistry between Williams and Travolta. Their real-life friendship shines through the screen, even when the script is failing them. There is a genuine warmth there that a lot of modern comedies lack. You can tell they were having a blast, even if the "pills" gag was a bit much for most adults.
Actionable Insights for Movie Buffs and Retro-Fans
- Watch the trailer alongside Wild Hogs: To see the peak of the Walt Becker/John Travolta collaboration era. It’s a fascinating study in how "dad-coms" dominated the late 2000s.
- Check out the "Everyday" Music Video: The song by John Travolta and Ella Bleu is a time capsule of its own. It’s peak 2009 wholesome content.
- Look for the "R-Rated" Remnants: When watching the trailer or the film, look for the scenes that feel like they were meant to be darker or edgier. The "human puppet" scene is a prime candidate for what was likely a much weirder sequence in the original cut.
- Study the Editing: Use the trailer as a case study for how to market a film with poor critical reception. Notice how it emphasizes movement and sound effects over dialogue and plot.
The old dogs film trailer remains a loud, colorful, and polarizing piece of cinema history. Whether you love it or hate it, you can't deny it knew exactly who its audience was. It didn't want to be The Godfather. It wanted to make you laugh at a guy falling into a penguin exhibit. And for millions of people in 2009, that was more than enough.
For those looking to dive deeper into the filmography of Robin Williams, compare this trailer to the one for World's Greatest Dad, which came out the same year. The contrast between his "commercial" work and his "indie" work is staggering and shows why he remains one of the most versatile performers to ever do it.