Grudge Match

Reviews from the Dark Side presents
 Grudge Match
Released 12/25/13, now in theaters

Boxing and Christmas go hand in hand don't they?  No?  Well, Christmas 2013 has seen the release of the boxing comedy, Grudge Match.  The film has no lack of star power with Robert DeNiro, Sylvester Stallone, Kevin Hart, Alan Arkin, and Kim Basinger.  But, the true test of a comedy is how much it makes you laugh.  With the two leads being DeNiro and Stallone who aren't exactly known for their comedic chops, it's a 50/50 proposition if this movie would be comical or comically bad. 

Henry "Razor" Sharp (Stallone) and Billy "the Kid" McDonnen (DeNiro) are two former light heavyweight champions from Pittsburgh.  Each had a stellar career in the ring with only one loss each.  You guessed it!  They split two fights with each other.  Before the third rubber match could be booked between the them, Harry unexpectedly retired for reasons known only to him.   Since the end of their careers, Razor's and Kid's lives have taken decidedly different paths.  Razor is a blue-collar worker in a shipyard  and Kid is a small businessman with a car dealership and bar. 

After an HBO documentary depicting the two fighters' rivalry gains public notice, Razor is approached by would-be promoter, Dante Slate, Jr. (Hart), and he's offered a deal to provide a motion capture performance for a video game.  Razor begrudgingly accepts for a $15,000 payday.  Unknown to Razor, Dante has also made a deal with Kid for a motion capture performance.  The bad blood heats up between the two on set and a fight breaks out which goes viral on You Tube.  The video creates so much fervor that Dante is able to book the third and deciding fight between the two former champions deemed "Grudgement Day."  Now the only problem is getting two 60+ fighters in boxing shape. 

Grudge Match is one of those movies that is enjoyable if you go in without huge expectations.  It's not meant to be taken seriously.  In fact, Stallone and DeNiro seem to derive much glee from lampooning their Rocky Balboa and Jake LaMotta personas.   I say this because I find it a bit puzzling the way this film has been hammered critically.  Much like this year's RED 2 and R.I.P.D., Grudge Match is a harmless little movie that's meant to garner a few laughs.  No, it's not hilariously funny throughout (We're the Millers it's not), but it garners more than enough laughs to make it an engaging watch. 

The only instances Grudge Match slogs along are the ones that try to flesh out the fighters' personal lives.  There's weird triangle between Stallone, DeNiro, and Basinger that turns out to be the primary reason Razor retired. There's also a side story involving the Kid's adult son whose life he wasn't allowed to be involved in as the child was growing up.  These scenes aren't necessarily bad.  The funny moments of the movie are very funny and I wanted more of that instead of melodrama.  It's just my personal preference. 

Grudge Match is wrought with boxing parodies, particularly, of the Rocky series.  There are great scenes involving drinking a glass full of raw eggs and punching slabs of meat.  And, of course, there are the obligatory jokes involved in two 60-year old men attempting to get in shape.  Whether intentional or not, there are laughs derived from computer generated images of the two fighters' younger selves.

The best comic moments come from Kevin Hart and Alan Arkin as Razor's cantankerous trainer.  Particularly, their scenes together are the best in the movie.  These two go after each other mercilessly.  The comic timing between them is a joy to watch. 

Grudge Match is a perfect movie if you are looking for light-hearted comedy.  If nothing else, Hart and Arkin will put a smile on your face a few times.

The Dark Lord of the Sith says:

***1/4 stars

Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.