When I first heard the idea for “Grudge Match”, I immediately thought it was a winner: Sylvester Stallone (best known as Philadelphia fighter Rocky Balboa) and Robert De Niro (who won an Oscar for playing real-life boxer Jake La Motta in Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull”) play longtime rivals who meet in the ring one final time. Throw in another spot-on, wise-cracking performance from Alan Arkin, the hilarious Kevin Hart (who’s as hot as it gets right now), director Peter Segal (“Get Smart”), and a sharp script and you’ve got one of the best comedies of 2013.
Stallone and De Niro play seemingly washed-up Pittsburgh fighters Henry “Razor” Sharp and Billy “The Kid” McDonnen. Back in the 80’s they fought twice, each winning one time. But the inevitable tie-breaking “Grudge Match” never took place because Razor decided to retire from boxing.
Now 30 years later, Razor and The Kid still hate each other, thanks to complications from their past. However, the son of the promoter of their original two championship fights, Dante Slate, Jr. (Hart) recruits Razor and The Kid to be in a new boxing video game. The two end-up in the same room together and a fight ensues, video of which immediately goes viral, setting-up an opportunity for a real “Grudge Match” between the two. Even though they’re old and way out of shape they agree to get back into the ring and settle their rivalry once and for all.
“Grudge Match” is consistently entertaining. De Niro and Stallone get to throw both punches and one-liners at each other throughout. Segal draws subtle and laugh-out-loud moments from the set-up, while also delving into relationship storylines, including The Kid meeting his son (“Snitch”‘s Jon Bernthal) for the first time, and Kim Basinger’s Sally, who’s had a major impact on the lives of both men throughout the years. The performances help elevate these characters from the sterotype level.
Hart, who owns every scene he’s in, has a much smaller role than the trailers and ads for the film suggest. I would have liked more verbal sparring between him and Arkin (who plays Stallone’s longtime trainer). But the reason this film was made was to showcase two Hollywood heavyweights playing two, fictional light-heavyweights. And Stallone and De Niro are up to the challenge, both in and out of the ring. The tone gets a little serious at times, which wasn’t necessary, but there are enough comical moments (including a great scene at a UFC event) to remind me why I wanted to see this film – to laugh.
Technically, the fighting scenes (both flashbacks and the climactic bout) are very well done. It actually looks like these two seniors are pounding each other around the ring. And cameos by real-life boxing announcers and fighters help add to the realism.
“Grudge Match” is rated PG-13 for the boxing violence, language, and some minor peril. It’s appropriate for kids 12 and up. Of course it’s not in the same league as “Rocky” or “Raging Bull”, and it’s not supposed to be. But it’s smart and fun to the final bell, which is more than I can say for most fights and movies I’ve watched all year.
On The Official LCJ Report Card, “Grudge Match” gets a B+.