A clash of not just Hollywood legends, but Hollywood boxing legends.
Beginning with references to both Rocky and LaMotta whilst utilizing some not terrible CGI to freshen up the pair, we see the two fights that form the basis of the grudge. We move to the present where “Razor” (Stallone) attempts to move on and forget his past, whilst “The Kid” (De Niro) revels in his. There are reconciliations, revelations, attempts to stop the fight, and most importantly…a montage! But can these two guys pull it off?
The fight itself is good enough, with the list of boxing tropes diligently worked through; even including a slo-mo punch that has blood and spit gushing from Sly’s mouth. There is no mistaking the age of the pugilists, but fortunately this is never hidden and is mentioned throughout.
I didn’t feel the comedy angle was fully committed to, with silly antics mainly embarrassing Razor and The Kid. The one exception to this is Alan Arkin, who again steals every scene he is in. Dramatic scenes were more successful, but you could easily see them coming.
Despite some decent banter Grudge Match doesn’t match up to either of these actors best, quickly becoming mired in cliché. It can hit the right emotional chords, and at times made me chuckle, but it won’t live long in the memory.
Both characters may learn something and grow from the experience, but this is no pay per view experience.
Be the first to comment