Grudge Match

-

Grudge Match
Starring Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Kim Basinger, Kevin Hart
Directed by Peter Segal

Thirty years ago there were two boxing matches by rivals Henry "Razor" Sharp (Sylvester Stallone) and Billy "The Kid" McDonnen (Robert De Niro).  The Kid won the first, and Razor won the second, and a grudge match - a third match to determine who was the best - was never done because Razor announced his retirement.

Decades later both men are still haunted by what could've been, but in different ways.  For Razor he kept his issues inside and The Kid verbally expressed his frustrations.  In comes promoter Dante Slate Jr. (Kevin Hart), who wants the boxing legends to do some motion-capture for an upcoming video game.  The two meet for the first time in years, and a fight ensues, which lands on YouTube and makes both the men famous again.

Both men agree to the grudge match and begin training to get back in shape.  Razor recruits his old trainer Lightning (Alan Arkin) while The Kid's illegitimate son,  B.J. (Jon Bernthal), agrees to train him.   In the center of the two is Sally Rose (Kim Basinger), who has a history with both men, but really loves Razor. 

As the match nears, both men get more in shape and face their inner demons which results in a grudge match for the ages, and for the aged.

To say this was disappointing would be an understatement.  Getting together Rocky and Raging Bull for a boxing movie, on paper, probably sounded amazing.  What results, though, is an under performing film filled to the brim with old man cliches and muddling sappy moments that leaves the entire film feeling disjointed, awkward and boring.

The acting caliber was probably too high for this sort of film, as it seems all the actors were struggling with the drivel they were given.  There was zero to no chemistry between any of the actors, especially between supposed love interests Stallone and Basinger.  The faint light of hope of the film comes from Bernthal's performance, but it was too lightly used. 

Ultimately, no one cares about a grudge match that involves such a horrible script and razor-thin plot.

My Rating: C+

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Major Theatrical Releases May 2019

-
Image
Major Theatrical Releases May 2019 After the hype that is "Avengers: Endgame," May offers a massive collection of differing types of movies, enough to entertain everyone. Here are the major theatrical releases for May 2019. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** **DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE**  The Intruder May 3 Dennis Quaid goes from starring the family-friendly "A Dog's Journey" to playing a total psycho in "The Intruder."  When a young couple purchases a home from Quaid's character Charlie, they didn't realize it came with an addition - Charlie himself, who can't seem to let his old home go.  I don't expect any twists or turns in this tale, and this looks like a film better fit for Lifetime than the big screen.  Long Shot May 3 Charlize Theron stars as Charlotte Field, the current Secretary of State and who's running for President.  Seth Rogen stars as Fred Flarsky, a...
Read more

Witch

-
Image
Witch Starring Russell Shaw, Ryan Spong, Sarah Alexandra Marks, Fabrizio Santino Directed by Craig Hinde & Marc Zammit Movies about witches are about a dime a dozen, and follow the same formula: typically set in a time period long ago (since now, fortunately, the stigma of witches has been lessened and the religious fervor has diminished), in a small Puritanical town, a girl is accused of witchcraft which spirals the town into a frenzy filled with suspicion, doubt, and murder until the witch is put to religious justice. While that's not necessarily a bad formula (Robert Eggers' "The VVitch" and Mario Bava's "Black Sunday" immediately come to mind), most films fall by the wayside. "Witch" is a small film that, at first glance, seems to follow the mold before completely shattering it in a second act twist that's daring, provocative, and works in a lot of levels, but could've been more pronounced if given a bigger budget. In the small ...
Read more

Special Review: "Midwest Sessions"

-
Image
Special Review: "Midwest Sessions" Directed by Mario Ricciardi Independent filmmaking is a fascinating concept, wherein the director and everyone involved sets out to make something unique, different, and go against the traditional status quo of what's defined as a "blockbuster." These films aren't usually seen by the masses and won't be included in the top ten highest grossing movies of all time, but they offer something those films don't: a heart and commitment by the people involved to craft something wholly distinctive that tell a story in their own way. Such is "Midwest Sessions," a local film directed by Mario Ricciardi that centers on the city of Youngstown, Ohio, and the captivating people who live there. Told in different vignettes that seem distinct and different from one another but coming together as a whole in the end, it's an engrossing film that utilizes its shoestring budget and gives great performances, decent effects a...
Read more