Grudge Match

One look at Peter Segal’s filmography and you would never think that he could run a movie that is not a comedy – Anger Management, The Longest Yard, Get Smart, Naked Gun 33 1/3 – all of them more comic than serious.  Maybe that is the reason imdb lists Grudge Match as a Sports Comedy.  What I can tell you is that any element of comedy was ersatz, more often than not.

People expecting a re-run of Rocky or Raging Bull or worse – both – are going to be disappointed.  Watch Grudge Match with an open mind and without any preconceptions of those cult movies and you could well enjoy the movie.  Peter Segal is not a bad director and has tried to put in whatever he could with his “fun” approach.

Maybe – just maybe, he should have thought of moving into a more intense narration.  It would have helped immensely because the people ARE going to walk in with a bias, much as we would like them to do otherwise.  Instead we find a lot of comic lines like “Jockey to Jockitch” or stale one liners like “Is boxing better? They fight in a square that they call a ring”.  I would have expected better.

The story of the grudge between Henry “Razor” Sharp (Stallone) and Bill “The Kid” McDonnen (Robert De Niro) goes back to 1982 where the latter pulped the former over 15 rounds.  In the return round 2 years later a very ill prepared McDonnen bites the dust in 4 rounds.  The 3^rd fight was touted to be THE Grudge Match to decide the final winner between this Pittsburgh rivalry.

But Sharp announces his retirement.  Now, 30 years later, Sharp works in a local factory and is barely managing to make ends meet.  McDonnen is now the owner of a local bar as well as a car dealership.  That’s when Dante Slate Jr. (Kevin Hart) comes into the picture.  Dante’s father was the promoter of their bout 3 decades ago.  Desperate to make it to the big league, Dante Jr. tries to get the 2 heroes together to settle scores once and for all.

Grudge Match could have been a much better movie if Segal had not allowed it to drift in the first 20 minutes of so.  There were several people squirming in their seats waiting for something to happen.  Thankfully, it does, but in the form of Louis 'Lightning' Conlon (Alan Arkin) who is like a much needed shot of adrenaline.  Arkin single handedly takes the movie up 2 notches as Sharp’s trainer.

Stallone and DeNiro struggle to come close to the passion that has made them big names in the industry.  Kim Bassinger looks stunning even at 61 and she would have some world class surgeons to thank for the same.  Other contributions that deserve mention would be Jon Bernthal and Camden Gray as the 8 year old grandson of The Kid.  Camden’s confidence on screen is superb.

Overall, Grudge Match is an average watch.  I had not expected a stunner but I did expect much more intensity than what I saw.  There were some good moments that barely managed to keep the movie alive.  Don’t expect this to rake in awards in any manner.  It would be the power of 2 great stars that ensures money at the BO if it does.  6 on 10.  Wait for the Television Premiere if you can.

Watch the trailer on http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2557192473/?ref_=tt_ov_vi