Like so many other people my first thought after seeing the trailer was: "WHY are they doing it? This will be pathetic!". Our family still went to see this movie on the opening day - and me, my wife, and the kids aged 10 and 14 all had a lot of fun watching it. Yes, it had some cheesy lines and less than perfect moments but I would never call it pathetic. I liked it so much that I registered on IMDb to write my first review. The movie actually answers the "why" question - and somehow this answer is the best way to describe how the film makes you feel. Yes, De Niro and Stallone fully realize that they are way past their prime and will never make anything comparable to "Raging Bull" or original "Rocky". They just do not make the drama out of it, do not take themselves too seriously and do not see the roles that made them famous as some sacred ground that can't be touched. They just want to have some fun while they are alive - and may be help others have fun as well. Not a bad way to feel about getting older!
Add a Review
-
vkupchan25 December 2013
-
djp200019 December 2013Sylvester Stallone must really love boxing. After returning to the Rocky films this past decade, he once again enters the ring in Grudge Match. But the smart thing here is that he's kind of poking fun at himself. Instead of trying to play a younger boxer which wouldn't be realistic anymore at his age, he plays a retired boxer who really is old this time around.
The story focuses on a rivalry between two boxers who fought each other a couple of times 30 years ago, winning one fight apiece. Naturally, that situation calls for a "rubber match" to decide the true winner. But it never happened. Hostility remains between the two guys 3 decades later though. Stallone plays Henry "Razor" Sharp and Robert De Niro plays Billy "The Kid" McDonnen. When the two both arrive on set for a computer-simulated video game that will use their likenesses, they engage in a physical altercation which soon goes viral for all the world to see. This prompts a desire to see the two of them in the ring together once again.
Kevin Hart plays the loud-mouth promoter who puts the fight on. He plays the same type of character he always plays, but still very funny nonetheless. The same goes for a funny Alan Arkin as Stallone's trainer who also plays the same type of character that he always does. So there's nothing truly unique about the movie, but it doesn't take itself too seriously and that's kind of a good thing. It focuses on the funny for the most part, but also adds some depth to the characters when it shows the struggles they're having in their personal lives. That's part of the reason they agree to do the fight... along with a genuine grudge the two still have between each other after all these years. Some of the jokes can be lame at times, but there are some good zingers here and there when seeing the two old guys poke fun at each other. And the fight at the end of the film is done well and worth waiting for. -
I think people started hating this movie because people like hating.
I love the performances by all the leads in this film. I love the writing, the directing, and the editing. This is not a slap-dash, make-a-quick-buck film.
Unfortunately, there is one short scene, almost an insert, for what appears to be nothing more than product placement. I suspect this was added by a producer simply for the product placement opportunity. It doesn't work, has a couple of laughs, but completely yanked me out of what was a well paced movie. It took several minutes to get back into the flow and made the ending come off cheesier than it would have if they had kept me in the story.
This movie will stand the test of time.
I don't know why everything has to be the BEST anymore. Why can't something just be good and entertaining?
This is not the best movie of the year, but it is a wonderful film with a heart. And it's FUNNY. There is a lot of variety in the humor-- some of it on the nose or slapsticky, some of it witty or even urbane.
I saw the morning show on a Monday. Lightly attended, but everyone was laughing and smiling as they left.
I hope there's a director's cut where that one short mistake scene is deleted (should have been saved for deleted scenes or over end credits).
That correction would likely not appease critics who had their complaints about Rocky and Raging Bull ready weeks before the release, but it would help.
This is a fantastic ensemble piece that is funny (very much in a Bridesmaids' kinda of way as weird as that sounds).
Don't let the haters keep you from a delightful film. -
Grudge Match is the story of two well-aged retired boxers, who happen to hate each other for varying reasons, who get talked into fighting the rematch that was supposed to happen 30 years prior. I don't think I'm alone in saying that there were some seriously low expectations going into this one, but I must say, there are MANY redeeming qualities about this movie that made it a great watch. The first thing that stands out to me is probably the first thing on everyone's mind - Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro combine to be about 320 years old. Why do we want to watch them fight??? Well, the movie is completely aware of your question, and answers you with this: Because it's FUN. The movie never shies away from how old they are, and plays on it for MANY fun moments. (On Stallone's end, they make more than a couple indirect references to the Rocky movies, with great effect.) The next thing that stands out? SOLID ACTING. The cast as a whole could have easily phoned this one in, relying on name-power so sell some tickets, but everyone seemed to be all-in with their characters, and give us scene after scene of good comedic interactions. Kevin Hart gives us some great moments, Stallone and DeNiro shine when sharing scenes, Alan Arkin is a pleasure to watch, Kim Basinger is still a fox, and - I'm just going to put this out there - Jon Bernthal is a future star, and he absolutely nails his role. (And the guest appearance of the UFC's Chael Sonnen was some sweet icing on the cake...the camera loves that guy...lol) It's not all perfect - it runs a bit too long (nearly 2 hours), and it does get pretty cheesy towards the end - but Grudge Match is a fun ride overall. If you're a boxing fan, boxing-movie fan, comedy fan, or a fan of anyone in this movie, don't miss it. Grudge Match scores a 3.5 out of 5 on the BDBOS. STAY THROUGH THE CREDITS!!! There's a couple of bonus scenes you'll want to catch. ...I've got the strangest craving for some butterscotch jellybeans...lol
-
bluesman-2025 August 2014Grudge match isa fun movie. It pokes fun at Stallone's most iconic role and at Deniro's Jake La Motta. Henry "RAZOR" Sharp is a talented tough Pittsburgh Boxer who has a rival in Kid MCdonnal. Both are talented and tough where Razor is humble Kid is loud. Where Both were at one time the Light heavyweight Champion of the world. Kid lets that define him Razor does not. When the first fight between them is hailed as a classic and the second fight breaks records and the fans demanding a third one. Razor walks away from billions back in 1984. the Why is a mystery. and the greatest rematch is only a fantasy. flash forward to 2012. Kid is a successful businessman owning a bar and a auto dealership and playing off of his boxing image. Razor is a welder at the dockyards and has been for the last thirty years. Both men are content. razor looks after his old trainer lighting played by Alan Arkin who steals the movie. When Razor and Kid's history is brought up on a sports show. the son of Razor's late manager comes to Razor with a offer film a video game with Kid. Needing the money he agrees to do it for 15 thousand. and when he meets Kid again their hatred for each other literally turns into a brawl that gets the world's attention. And the idea for the Grudge match is born. While training for it. Both men encounter secrets from their past. lost loves and most importantly grudging respect for one another. Stallone and Deniro play this one off wonderfully against one another. Stallone is the straight man and gets the best lines. Deniro is the comedic one and gets the best scenes. And Arkin steals the movie from under them. Grudge match is a good time at the movies . It's not what many people think it is. And because of that it's better then what people think it is.
-
cultfilmfreaksdotcom28 December 2013There are probably more people curious about seeing ROCKY and RAGING BULL square off than witnessing a COP LAND reunion Either way, with Rocky Balboa and Jake LaMotta in the same movie, they might want something edgy, dramatic and uplifting. Well good luck with that.
Sylvester Stallone as Henry "Razor" Sharp and Robert De Niro as Billy "The Kid" McDonnen are two retired boxers who had three No, actually two matches in the past Kid won the first, Razor the second and then, for mysterious reasons, Razor canceled the anticipated final bow at the last minute, making Kid hold a grudge till a new opportunity arises, many years later.
First let's get some ROCKY references out of the way: Razor is forced into drinking raw eggs by his elderly manager Lighting, played by Alan Arkin, a "Mickey" type character Also like the original Oscar-winning classic, Razor punches hanging beef in a meat locker He's fired from a menial job, buys new clothes, drives around in a hotrod and fumbles lines off "dummy cards" during a commercial shoot ala ROCKY 2 In the backstory, after the success as a fighter, he loses his money and returns to poverty like ROCKY 5 He trains in a grueling, hands-on fashion like ROCKY 4 (physically pulling a truck named Road Hawk c/o OVER THE TOP).... He takes part in a virtual reality "What if" bout lifted from ROCKY BALBOA...
And at one point later on, during the promotional circuit, he and Kid wind up at an Ultimate Fighting venue where Razor, comparing the popular sport to scripted Professional Wrestling, is threatened by a melodramatic blowhard brawler: reminiscent of Hulk Hogan in ROCKY 3 As for De Niro's Kid, he retired from boxing with a lucrative car lot but also runs a nightclub where he, like RAGING BULL himself, performs a laconic stand-up routine.
While not as good as it should be with the talent on board, GRUDGE MATCH isn't as god- awful as the maligned (and already Razzie nominated) reputation The lightweight banality sheds an endearing glow, and Kid has a few moving conversations with his estranged son, played by WALKING DEAD actor Jon Bernthal
Their scenes fare better than the contrived dialogue between Stallone and Arkin. Perhaps more tragic than De Niro and Stallone playing down to light comedy is that Arkin, no stranger to evoking genuine audience laughter, isn't funny at all. But he's not the comic relief...
In that department is Kevin Hart as the motormouth promoter keeping a reluctant Razor on board the upcoming payday, trying way too hard with an annoying Chris Tucker imitation. After a while his frantic intrusion tappers off, which leads to something even more ghastly, blunting the dynamic of Bernthal's character: One of the worst child actors in history, playing Kid's grandson, enters the show and never leaves.
Meanwhile our two rivals seem to be going through the motions. Their constant bickering is liken to GRUMPY OLD MEN sans the essential cantankerous anti-chemistry. Supposedly these guys hate each other yet seem pretty content, making us forget the entire purpose. But their combined scenes are merely sporadic: Much of the film involves dragging conversations with side-characters, ranging from trainers to the sole love interest played by Kim Basinger.
Will or won't Razor stay in the fight becomes the only suspense till the final match where two old dudes beat each other raw like that frozen hanging beef. Here's where we finally get some old school blood and gusto, but it's much to late to save a missed opportunity involving this rare superstar collective, intriguing and disappointing both cult and mainstream audiences. -
stevendbeard25 December 2013I saw "Grudge Match", starring Sylvester Stallone-The Expendables movies, the Rocky movies; Robert De Niro-Last Vegas, Raging Bull; Kim Basinger-Cellular, Never Say Never Again; Kevin Hart-This is the End, Soul Plane and Alan Arkin-Argo, Freebie and the Bean.
This is a boxing fan's dream; Rocky Balboa vs Jake LaMotta, aka, The Raging Bull. Sylvester and Robert are basically playing their two iconic characters and show what might happen if they had a fight in their older years. They play boxers that had two matches against each other in the 1970's, each one winning a fight. The third tie-breaking match never happened for various reasons-which you do eventually discover. Kim plays a love interest that was involved with both of them, at one time, and had a child with one of them. Kevin plays the son of a boxing promoter that is now trying to coordinate the new match and Alan is Sylvester's old friend/trainer. There is comedy, with Kevin handling the majority of it, but there are also jabs at the Rocky and Raging Bull characters, especially in the training scenes. Also, at their advanced ages, each of the boxers have problems, anywhere from being blind in one eye to womanizing and having a drinking problem. For all of the UFC fans, there is a cameo of Chael Sonnen that is funny and there are a couple of scenes as the end credits start-nothing at the very end. It's rated "PG-13" for violence, language, and sexual content-no actual nudity-and has a running time of 1 hour & 53 minutes. If you are a fan of any of the actors or boxing, you will probably enjoy this one. I did and I would buy this on Blu-Ray. -
siderite27 July 2014The movie was exactly what I expected, perhaps with the exception of Kim Basinger who looks smoking hot at an age when most women need hearing aids and false teeth. You have these two old boxers who have had a grudge for 30 years, since they had to fight each other, but the fight was canceled. The film is all about they getting over it via a box match. The fact that they did that after 30 years (time in which neither really had a life) makes it spicier, but basically, that's just the sprinkling on the cake.
I can't say that I got inspired by the movie or anything, but it felt more real than many of the genre, probably because of all the history of the characters making them deeper, meatier. Most movies of this kind use cardboard roles that mean nothing to anyone, like the obe played by Kevin Hart. Even Kim Basinger's role was a typical cliché, the woman that has always loved a man, waiting for him no matter how boneheaded he is.
Bottom line: aside the old actors, this was a typical sports match thing. They train, they say their piece, they fight. Also, except some marketing lines about iPads and some "going viral" lines, this could have just as well been a 70's movie. Robert de Niro was a strange casting for a boxer, but he finally played a role I liked him in since... forever. And Sly Stallone brings a lot more melancholy in this film than in any of the Expendables. -
What a refreshing and unexpected (but nice) surprise Grudge Match was for the wife and I to sit down on a Saturday night, plop the Blu Ray disc in and for the next 2 hours, just enjoy a decent film minus any drugs, knife fights, or guns a blazing. When you have two major action stars such as Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone one might expect that the testosterone level on the big screen would get a bit heavy especially considering the movies theme is about two old and retired fighters who come out of retirement after 30 years to put the gloves back on and get back in to the ring to settle a very old score since both fighters won one of their two previous matches while in their prime back in the 1980's.
Robert DeNiro plays Billy "The Kid" McDonnen. Now Billy has a very big ego and since his boxing career ended prematurely 30 years ago he has done pretty good for himself owning his own car dealership and a successful bar called the Knockout. There is one scene in the film that I just grinned from ear to ear as Billy did a stand-up comedy routine in his bar with a puppet dressed as a prize fighter sitting in his corner as Billy bantered back and forth with the prize fighter dummy. The scene is less than a minute long but I give it full credit for the originality.
Sylvester Stallone plays Henry "Razor" Sharp. Now Razor was the guy who decided to hang up his gloves in the prime of his fighting career and we eventually find out why he retired. No spoiler alert, you will have to wait and hear it from Razor himself why he chose to retire from the ring. Razor's life has been kind of frozen in time these past 30 years, and he now works as a laborer in a factory, goes home to an empty house with no TV, cable or internet, and eats canned tuna and over ripened bananas to make ends meet. Razors life seems very depressing. Something is bothering him and the audience gets interested in finding out what makes Razor tick. I would have thought a boxing genre film would have been easier to figure out but the screenwriters did a good job in keeping the plot a bit deeper than most boxing films and we gradually grow to like Razor's character and think less of Billy the Kid's shallow and selfish personality.
There is also a good supporting cast of characters such as Kevin Hart who plays fight promoter Dante Slate Jr.. Dante's deceased father used to promote Razor's fights and Razors' memories of Dante Slate Sr. are not very good as he recalls being ripped off of his prize fight earnings. So Razor instantly is not prepared to go back in to the ring with Dante Slate Jr. holding the purse strings. Eventually Dante convinces Razor to put the gloves back on, but only for a fight simulation video for a software video company who agrees to pay him $15K. The movie is worth watching if for nothing else but seeing Stallone and De Niro dressed up in their head to toe lime green leotards game gear costumes so the techies can video their fight simulation. Did I say fight simulation? Well once Billy and Razor are within ring distance of each other the brouhaha goes viral on the internet and "the fight is on man!" We eventually get introduced to Kim Basinger's character Sally, who plays Razor's old love interest. Something happened to split Razor and Sally apart 30 years ago and we find out why Razor is a bit disenchanted with his life. When Razor eventually does agree to fight Billy for the grudge match of the decade he asks his old and trusted trainer Louis Lightning Conlon, played by veteran actor Alan Arkin. Louis is currently in a wheelchair and residing in an old age home, but Razor still wants his old and trusted friend Louis to get him back in to fighting shape. Razor is an honorable man and true friend as part of his income is used to pay for his friends nursing home costs.
There are a couple of scenes that remind us in a fun way of Stallone's Rocky films that just add to the films humorous theme. Billy on the other hand goes through a few trainers including LL Cool J who plays Frankie Brite, and Billy eventually settles on having his long lost son BJ played smartly by Jon Bernthal to train him.
Before you know it, we are witness to the fight of the decade in front of 18,000 fight fans split between who they want to win the fight. Most film goers always have their own prediction on who will win the main event. Will Razor win? Will Billy the Kid win? Or maybe it will be a draw? As I said no spoiler alert coming from me, so let's just say the ending is a good one. No, let me rephrase this..., I would say the ending is even better than I anticipated it would be. I Give Grudge match an 8 out of 10 ranking for the 10 rounds that Grudge Match went. Watch it and you will not be disappointed. It's a knockout hit. -
Anyone who reads my reviews regularly will know that this is a biased review for me. I live and breath Stallone. I adore the guy, grew up with him as many of you did, and will pay through the teeth to see anything he does no matter how bad and I will desperately try to find the good in it. So its safe to say my expectations were extremely high because I was about to see my Hollywood hero on the big screen again and boxing nonetheless. On top of that Robert DeNiro is high up on my Hollywood heroes list and synonymous with boxing in his own right (though I hated Raging Bull..I appreciate it for its classic status.) The potential to do this movie right was huge. In the right hands they could have made this a cutting edge comedy/drama that was geared towards an older demographic and fill it with heart, and passion and fun. They achieve all this but on a much, much smaller scale. It has a little bit of comedy, satire, drama and is geared towards that older demographic and has a little heart, passion and a little fun. I would guess that our director probably didn't really put his full effort into this and let some of it fall flat which is truly unfortunate. On top of that you have easily one of the worst performances I have seen on the big screen in a very, very long time (more on that in a moment.) Still the movie is fun at times and tells a decent story.
Sylvester Stallone is great in his role as Razor Sharp. He isn't Rocky so you can toss those comparisons out the window. He's a smart guy, artistic, passionate who hasn't moved with the times very well and was close to being on top but then spent the rest of his life working an assembly line in a factory. His performance is much better than what the script gives him to work with. I am glad to say he is one of the better parts of this movie. Same could be said for Robert Deniro. His role as the pompous, loud mouth Billy "The Kid" is perfect for him. Granted its sort of Deniro being Deniro but sometimes that is what's best and it works. The sub-story with him and his long lost son and grandson add a lot of the heart to the film. The thing that perhaps disappointed me the most was the lack of true chemistry between Deniro and Stallone. The entire film hinges on their comedic and passionate rivalry and that part of the film feels forced and often falls flat right up until the end. I worried immediately from the trailers that Kevin Hart would be obnoxious, annoying and distracting. Ding Ding Ding. Called that bout. He is all of that and more. His character doesn't fit this film even a little bit and he's incredibly annoying. Grudge Match is a very dry, satirical comedy not slapstick and Kevin Hart is just being himself and it doesn't work. There is a hint of fun chemistry between him and Stallone and also him and Arkin but they don't play on that enough to make it worthwhile. Alan Arkin (as many reviewers have pointed out) yet again plays a crotchety old man. However, his role is terrific and I loved it. He demonstrates a re-invigoration and he makes Stallone seem slightly younger than what he is. Arkin could have been amazing in the part with a better script but then most of them could have been. A better script would not have saved Kim Basinger. Being buried alive twenty feet deep couldn't have saved her from one of the worst performances on screen I've seen in years. She is wooden, campy, looks high, is so full of plastic she can't even move her face...she is just awful. I can't believe she didn't get nominated for Razzies when Stallone and Deniro did! Kim...let it go, pack it in, you're horrendous on camera. She took the entire cast down at least a peg or two. Jon Bernthal and Camden Gray are decent in their perspective roles as Deniro's son and grandson. Gray is a little bit campy (but adorable) and Bernthal does a solid job considering the character is underused.
I can't help but wonder how much better this would have been had Stallone did directing duties. If you wonder how much potential was lost on this movie just watch the last half hour. That is the best of the entire film with a well choreographed, uplifted and well done fight scene that wraps everything up in a great way. It was just amazing as a fan to see Stallone back in the ring probably for one last time (although if Creed happens then maybe not.) Director Peter Segal is a decent director but he is a through and through comedy director and this film needed someone who can handle comedy/drama/and an emotional story to really bring out the details. The script was sub-par there is no doubt about it and its unfortunate because they had a lot of ducks in a row but then they start throwing rocks into the mix. Still Stallone/Deniro/Rocky fans will find enough in this to be redeemable and enjoyable. I am certainly glad I saw it but for the average film goer you will likely find it nearly boring and certain bad scenes drag the film down significantly. I hate that Stallone's films aren't doing so well except for The Expendables because I don't want him to slow down one bit. 6/10 -
RevRonster23 April 2014This movie felt like it was written by a stand up comedian in his late 40s/early 50s who still does his material from the 80s and think his Viagra joke is the height of hilarity.
Going into "Grudge Match," I knew the jokes were going to be excruciatingly predictable (yes, they do a "I've fallen and I can't get up" joke) and it was obvious that Kevin Hart was included just to get the younger people to the theater but I wasn't prepared how the film, almost like an Alzheimer's patient, suddenly forgets that it's a wacky sports comedy about two old dudes settling a rivalry and suddenly becomes a way too heavy drama about two old dudes who are foolishly ignoring the real priorities in their lives. While a drama element was as expected as the terrible jokes, the drama portion became way too serious that you forgot that just a minute ago they were doing jokes about Bobbie De Niro having moobs.
Bad, easy jokes in the film aside, I honestly think the film's cast did a tremendous job. Sly and Bobbie really have some chemistry on screen and really come off as two rivals who are out to get under each other's skin and beat them to a pulp in the ring (even though we, as an audience, acknowledge that, realistically, Stallone would destroy De Niro due to the fact that Sly is still in really good shape). I also really enjoyed the chemistry between De Niro and Jon Bernthal as De Niro's character's son. Bernthal is already a terrific actor but the two really played well together. Finally, Alan Arkin, as usual, is amazing and is able to take the weak jokes and the times when Kevin Hart is trying way too hard to be funny and is able to turn it around and be amusing—but he's just a wizard like that.
Overall, "Grudge Match" is a weak, unfunny film (with some frightening CG at the beginning of the film they couldn't hire younger actors to play young Sly and De Niro? They had to use nightmare inducing computer effects?) but the cast works their magic and perform great despite the circumstances.
Greetings, Earthlings! Do you feel like reading a more in-depth review of "Grudge Match" and some more rants, ramblings, bad jokes (but not "Grudge Match" bad), some geeky references and some more reviews that don't involve Sly Stallone restraining himself from killing Bobbie De Niro with one punch? Well, if you do, you can head on over to my blog; revronmovies.blogspot.com. If you don't well do whatever it is you were going to do anyway. -
henri36029 December 2013I went in hoping that I would be at least mildly entertained. Wow, was I wrong. This movie is solid entertainment with a soul. Yes there are some solid principles to live by in this movie... and some to ignore. The acting was superb. I expected Stallone and DeNiro to be somewhat burnt out. But, they portrayed vivid characters. Stallone's motivation as a character was largely a mystery until about halfway into the movie. Definitely a mirror of life today. And, it had a decent ending that was digestible. I respected their life work before. But, this movie is likely to make you a fan... or at least of the story. I did not mention the other actors. But they are all stars in this worthy story, filled with laughs, mystery, and drama. What's not to like?
-
namashi_115 April 2014'Grudge Match' is a pleasant surprise. A highly entertaining sports-comedy, that is also rich in emotions & performances. It's All Good Fun!
'Grudge Match' Synopsis: A pair of aging boxing rivals are coaxed out of retirement to fight one final bout -- 30 years after their last match.
'Grudge Match' works because the Screenplay Written by Doug Ellin, Tim Kelleher & Rodney Rothman, is thoroughly enjoyable! The rivalry between the boxing legends, has depth & a strong under-current of emotions. 'Grudge Match' is not only about boxing, it's also about love, relationships & redemption. It's about the battles we face outside the ring.
Peter Segal's Direction deserves distinction marks. Cinematography is vast. Editing is sharp. Make-Up is well-done.
Performance-Wise: Stallone & De Niro are a joy to watch, as always. I mean it's Rocky versus Raging Bull, it clearly couldn't get better! Kim Basinger adds tremendous weight to her character. Alan Arkin is outstanding. The Acting Legend is in top-form! Kevin Hart is first-rate. Jon Bernthal is perfect.
On the whole, 'Grudge Match' is a winner. Thumbs Up! -
shawneofthedead9 January 2014Barely a minute after he shows up on screen, silver screen legend Robert De Niro utters the immortal words: "I didn't have a groin itch - I'm just a great actor!" Whether you find that hilarious or tragic will probably determine your reaction to the well-intentioned but painfully mediocre Grudge Match.
The grudge of the film's title is the one that has lasted for decades between Billy 'The Kid' McDonnen (De Niro) and Henry 'Razor' Sharp (Sylvester Stallone). In their prime, the two men were the talk of the boxing world. Kid won their first match, Razor their second - but, before their final face-off, Razor quit boxing. Fast-forward thirty years: Kid remains a publicity-hungry Lothario, furious that he never got a chance to prove he was the better fighter; Razor works in a steel mill and is struggling to make ends meet. Neither can refuse when the opportunity to get back into the ring presents itself.
The draw of the film, of course, is to see Jake 'Raging Bull' LaMotta and Rocky Balboa duke it out in the ring. De Niro knows it, Stallone knows it, we know it. Both men gamely play off and send up the iconic characters they played decades ago, cheekily winking at - or desecrating, depending on your point of view - their respective cinematic legacies. Actually, it would all be somewhat thrilling if the script weren't so predictable and sluggish.
Like most of the comedies De Niro finds himself slumming in these days, Grudge Match has a few fun moments (standout: a mile-high publicity stunt) and a handful of good lines. It even gets better as it goes along, kind of - the two prickly protagonists arrive at an understanding that makes more emotional sense than you might expect.
But the film as a whole plods by, half ribald comedy, half brooding drama, and never presents either of its leads with moments that they're fully capable of making memorable. Instead, it gently embarrasses them, pressing home the point that they're not as young as they once were by flinging (bad) jokes about iPads, hearing aids and old-man boobs in their direction, while stuffing them into ungainly motion-capture suits.
To their credit, both De Niro and Stallone show up dutifully for work. They are, at least, worth the watch. De Niro takes the more broadly comedic part, and manfully tries to create a credible relationship with his new-found son B.J. (Jon Bernthal) and grandson Trey (Camden Grey). Stallone manages to dig up some grace notes in his scenes with 'Lightning' (Alan Arkin), his doddering old trainer, and Sally (Kim Basinger), the woman who stirred up even more trouble between Razor and Kid back in the day.
Even so, it's hard to watch Grudge Match without a lingering sense of disappointment. The material is nowhere near as good as the two lead actors deserve, and persists in undercutting them in ways that probably seemed funny on paper but are simply sad in the cinema. At one point in the film, a physical trainer yells at De Niro, "A good performer knows when to get offstage!", followed shortly by, "Where's your sense of dignity?" In a movie like this one, it's hard to take that moment in a purely fictional sense. -
gwnightscream11 December 2014Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Kim Basinger, Kevin Hart, Jon Bernthal and Alan Arkin star in this 2013 sports comedy-drama. This takes place in Pennsylvania focusing on retired boxers, Henry aka "Razor" (Stallone) and Billy aka "The Kid" (De Niro), 2 rivals who haven't fought each other in 30 years. Soon, they meet promoter, Dante (Hart) who talks them into having one last fight with each other since they never got to. They train for the event and deal with their personal lives in the process. Basinger (Batman) plays Sally, Henry's ex-girlfriend, Bernthal (The Walking Dead) plays her son, B.J. who is also Billy's son and Arkin (Edward Scissorhands) plays Henry's trainer & friend, Louis aka "Lightning." LL Cool J, Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield also appear. This is a good flick that obviously pokes fun at "Rocky" and "Raging Bull." It has funny and dramatic moments and Stallone & De Niro are great as usual. I recommend this.
-
phubbs15 October 2014Well well what's this? the long awaited sequel to 'Raging Bull'? the long awaited follow up in the Rocky franchise? or is it merely an excuse to have Rocky vs Jake LaMotta? Well it kinda felt like all of the above really.
The plot sees aging fighters Stallone (Razor) and DeNiro (The Kid) trying to recapture their youth and regain their old pugilistic skills via setting up a big lavish grudge match. Back in their early years they were both top of their game, the best of the best, but which was better? The only fights the pair ever lost in their careers were to each other, one beat the other and vice versa. Just before their old rematch Razor retired which angered Kid, now the game is back on.
What I find a little amusing about this is it actually does feel like Rocky Balboa vs LaMotta, both Stallone and DeNiro perform pretty much in the same way they did for both iconic movies. Stallone's character basically is Balboa for Pete's sake, he lives in a typical blue collar area, has a poor paying job in the shipyards and comes across as a soft centred soul. On the other hand DeNiro is a cocky loud mouthed edgy fighter who only wants to win any way he can. Both actors are playing these roles seriously I might add, this is not a silly dumb comedy, its a proper boxing movie.
The whole project is so old school and retro it really is, Kim Basinger and Alan Arkin both have leading roles alongside the OAP fighters which made me feel like this was another Expendables type setup. The plot is clichéd as hell and utilises every trick in the sports movie book, everything you saw in Rocky basically. At the same time there are some nice references to the lead stars earlier movies and some nice little moments to add a chuckle. Such as Stallone going into a meat locker and is about to slam into one carcass with his fists but is stopped by Arkin who points out they are there to buy meat not hit it. Yeah sure it sounds like a cheap modern day throw away visual gag reference to an older classic movie...and it totally is but it did make me smile a tad.
So yes there are plenty of obligatory family issues throughout for both fighters, gotta have those family issues to deal with. Its all so very predictable and painfully obvious what's gonna happen, DeNiro has his long abandoned son to win over...plus a new grandchild to get to know. Stallone loses his crappy job and has old flame Basinger crawling around him who also just happens to be DeNiro's old flame and mother of DeNiro's now grown up son whom he abandoned. Can you feel the pain and anguish surging through here?
Despite all the rather dull cheesy hokey drama the movie does end on a solid bit of boxing. Stallone still looks relatively impressive considering his age...DeNiro not quite as much but he does have that epic nasty look in his eye. Both men do look just as impressive in the ring as they did back in the day I must say, they both go at it hammer 'n' tongs and the movie doesn't shy away from the blood sweat and snot. I loved seeing all the old legendary grimaces and scowls from DeNiro during the fight, same can be said for Stallone with his more gormless facial expressions.
The film did poorly I have read but honesty I quite enjoyed this for what it was. Basically a purely nostalgic trip down memory lane or a leap back in time with your Delorean. Its pretty much our last chance to see these guys do what they did all those years ago, what made them famous (for Stallone at least). A simple sports flick with a happy ending and lots of retro appeal for guys and girls around my age and up. I really fail to see how any fan of both stars (or any movie fan) could not enjoy this, the films poster says it all and its a corker of a poster too.
7/10 -
oscar-3518 December 2014*Spoiler/plot- Grudge Match, 2013. Two up and coming fighters in the same weight class hold a vendetta between them over a girl and the boxing title's belt. Many years later, they come back to clear the record.
*Special Stars- Sly Stallone, Robert De Niro, Kim Basinger, Ireland Baldwin, Alan Arkin, Jon Bernthal.
*Theme- Give your best and you don't have to regret the outcome.
*Trivia/location/goofs- Canadian, Most people think this film was a Sylvester Stallone project, but according to Robert De Niro he got the script first and quickly came to the conclusion that Stallone would be the best choice to play his opponent. Stallone himself was actually quite reluctant to do the film at first, as he did not want to parody Rocky (1976) and De Niro had to talk him into it. Stallone himself claimed that he had a harder than usual time training for the role since he was taking a break from action roles and had stopped working out.
*Emotion- This film is a clever plot and has a 'heart'. Both leads play the full depth of emotions for their role. No doubt their film careers gave them plenty of experience. Not sure how much acting was involved here. A good film to see and experience.
*Based on- Lossely based on DiNiro's and Stallone's major fight film career moves and loses. -
eusair-127 February 2014the vast majority of bad reviews for this film are likely the result of reviewers inability to view this film objectively. the fact is that this film has very little to do with either 'Rocky' or 'Raging Bull'. it pays homage to those films, nothing more.
lots of people think Stallone can't act, and De niro can't do funny. neither is 100% true and this movie is proof. is it great? no. but everybody involved did good work and it shows. the only way you couldn't feel happy and satisfied after watching this film is if you are die hard for the classics, in which case i say, 'lighten up'.
people find 'Grudge Match' to be an insult to the classics. it isn't. actually attempting to make a Balboa vs. LaMotta film would have been, though. -
tadpole-596-91825630 December 2013An eight-year-old wants a "b.j." for his next birthday. Ha Ha. A boxer blind in one eye sails through his Pre-fight physical with flying colors. Har Har. A cannibal says ears "taste like ass." Ho Ho. Grandpa ditches a young boy at a crowded bar. Tee Hee. A defective driver gets T-boned on his literal "blind side" by a truck. What fun. A U.S. Marine veteran mangles the national anthem in a sports arena worse than Roseanne Barr at the World Series. Yuk Yuk. A third-grader sits atop a case of booze to start an SUV as Gramps does a nude barfly in the backseat. Oh Joy. The young lad desires 100 "b.j.'s" per day. Hee Hee. A woman gets jealous over nothing and quickly conceives her only child through angry "revenge sex." Snicker Snicker. Any American man who becomes an orderly or a nurse is a sex pervert. Who knew? GRUDGE MATCH, in addition to obviously being a barrel of laughs, is very informative, too.
-
taylorkingston1 May 2015I enjoy this movie. It's interesting. It's a bit different to what I thought it was going to be, but it was still a very enjoyable time.
This movie is about two former boxers who were rivals thirty years ago. Henry "Razor" Sharp and Billy "The Kid" McDonnen have been fighting ever since Razor retired because he slept with Billy's girlfriend and got her pregnant. Awkward. But now, thirty years later, a promoter wants them to fight each other in one of the most popular matches of all time. People would love to see them fight again, but Razor doesn't want to. But when Razor loses his job and finds out that he's broke, he has no choice but to play the game. Coming out of retirement for one final match, both our leads get ready to knock the other one out.
Overall, I give this movie an 8 out of 10, which in my ratings book is: Awesome. -
george.schmidt27 December 2013GRUDGE MATCH (2013) ** Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Kim Basinger, Kevin Hart, Alan Arkin, Jon Berenthal, LL Cool J, Barry Primus, Camden Gray. Rocky vs. Raging Bull was probably the pitch for pretty much just that - the stars of those classic boxing pics - face off again as aging pugilist has-beens who are coerced into a re-match after a 30 year feud with a few mild laughs at best in this rather hackneyed script by Tim Kelleher and Rodney Rothman and pedestrian direction from vet Peter Segal. While the two stars throw down with conviction they both seem to be sleepwalking for the most part in a quick paycheck for a film that really should've been rethought. No Mas!
-
peeyosk1 January 2014Don't worry about spoiler alerts. The hack comedy writing in this movie is so predictable that a child would know the punchline before it hits. I can't believe I sat through this.
It's not like I expected this to be the best movie of all time, but you'd think it would have at least been a good time with half decent jokes that would elicit a few giggles.
Kevin Hart's lines were absolutely brutal and his character was more annoying than Chris Tucker sucking on helium balloons. Then you have Alan Arkin who is basically part of an ongoing "I'm old and have a hearing aid" bit for the entire movie. There was nothing funny or touching about this movie at all.
I give this 2 stars, 1 for me sitting there for the whole thing and the other for the Tyson/Holyfield bit before the credits. -
kramercosmo23 December 2013I saw Grudge Match in an early screening and I (as most of the audience) had so much fun. This is a light hearted, nostalgic film with lots of great jokes and a fantastic cast.
Kevin Hart delivers, he fits just perfectly in his role. Alan Arkin steals the show in this one. He is so damn funny with his great one liners and his impressively cool acting. It is also great to see the beautiful Kim Basinger on the big screen again. De Niro and Stallone look 20 years younger than their real age when fighting in the ring, well choreographed fight scenes by the way. The physics of both Stallone and De Niro is just impressive. Most 30 year old would be more than happy to have a body like these two old-timers. There are some Rocky references in the film, and they are classy ones.
I find this to be the perfect film for the Christmas Days to have a great time at the movies. It certainly is not made to please the critics, it is made to entertain the audience and create a warm, nostalgic atmosphere. And without any doubt, the film delivers! Can't wait to see it with some friends on Christmas Day... -
The_moan_of_all_moans30 January 2014I'll be completely honest. I (like a lot of people) didn't expect much from this film. It seemed as if it was just another unwelcome comedy role for Robert De Niro and another stale showing from the sub standard Sylvester Stallone. And there are points where that feeling pops up, but that aside it is a rather good film. I enjoyed it, found myself smiling and laughing. And for all the desperate comedy there are little glimpses of wit. For all the cheesy scenes there are moments of real sincerity. The main example of that is in the scenes between Billy "The Kid" McDonnen (De Niro) and B.J (John Bernthal). These two just seemed to click for me. Bernthal has great acting ability and after roles in this and "Wolf on Wall Street" he is more than capable of being a star in the future. And in many ways he was the star of the show.
Not exactly a main event with Rocky vs Jake La Motta , more of an undercard bout with two pensioners brawling over the last wethers original. -
slayerholmes15 December 2015Not that it's been on the highest level for quite sometime anyhow, but I'm really starting to lose my last remaining hopefulness regarding new generations. Of movies and their watchers. Here's latest reason for this: "Grudge Match"... What a dud! And especially considering the initial (and natural) fears I had before watching those other "stallone-rehashs" Rocky Balboa (2006) and Rambo (2008) and finding them actually somewhat tolerable in their sadness/tiredness/cynicism, the overall awfulness of this turkey is even more amazing.
Well yes, OK, above mentioned were always meant to be "more serious" than this one, but of course with GM you get your excessive amount of "drama" and "bitter relationships" between laughs too. (Or embarrassed grunts, as in my case.) It seems like even some genuine emotions from viewers are phished, but everything is ruined by predictability... Predictability? Try EVERY character's EVERY reaction/remark in EVERY scene, worst examples being no-brainer: Kevin Hart, Alan Arkin, that grandkid. But I still wouldn't claim they act bad, but rather fill their horrible roles flawlessly.
All I am saying: 6.4 average for this calculated, manipulative, childish, cliché-ridden vomit is essentially too much. People get wrong ideas.