A pair of aging boxing rivals are forced out of retirement
for a grudge match 30 years after their last fight. COMEDY/SPORT
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Grudge Match (2013)Directed by Peter Segal
Written by Tim Kelleher and Rodney Rothman Starring Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Kevin Hart, Alan Arkin, Kim Basinger, Jon Bernthal, Camden Gray |
Grudge Match was not at all what I anticipated. It actually turned out to be a bittersweet dramedy about the consequences of missed opportunities driven by solid performances from Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro. It may have been loaded with sports movie cliches and driven by a lukewarm script, but somehow the film works in the end.
For one, I totally bought Stallone and De Niro's mutual hatred. They did a fantastic job selling me their performances and it was really cool to see Rocky Balboa fight the Raging Bull. Alan Arkin was funny as Stallone's trainer and Jon Bernthal played against type and delivered an honest performance. Kevin Hart was the only cast member who didn't seem to fit in the movie. It was almost like he wandered onto the set while filming a different movie and nobody told him. For a film revolving around two old-timers past their prime doing one last fight, Grudge Match really wasn't that bad. It had moments of comedy and honesty sprinkled throughout, but ends up falling victim to cliches and becomes predictable. Still, it's not terrible and is a good watch for the performances alone. |
This film should have been a hilarious look at aging and going past one's prime. Instead, it turned out to be a meandering film that was sporadically funny. A colossal missed opportunity featuring one of cinema's greatest actors and greatest action stars.
The film is somewhat helped by the decent performances. De Niro and Stallone give it their all, really selling the rivalry between these two characters. Their final match is that much more fun to watch by the end of the film. Jon Bernthal also shines as the son of one of the two characters. He gives a great performance and I look forward to seeing him in future films. Alan Arkin is also hilarious as a trainer, creating some hilarious jokes. Kevin Hart tries his hardest, but most of his jokes fall flat. While the film did fall short of its potential, the final match at the end was a lot of fun to watch. It was great to see Rocky and Jake LaMotta duking it out at the end. Besides that, the rest of the film spent most of its time dragging and not being all that funny. A massive missed opportunity. |