Review of Grudge Match (2013) by Tyler R — 12 Apr 2017

It's really sad to see two legends get boiled down to parodies of their classics, or in the case of Robert De Niro, two classics. Grudge Match follows two lightweight boxing rivals as they come together one last time for one last match.

This could've been really funny, but when horse urine is a running gag for the second half of the film, you know there's something very wrong here. It has all the cheesy redemption beats, including everything from absent parent to rekindled love, but it never plays with them, always taking it too seriously.

And that in itself disrupts the already slow pace when it goes from drama to seeing Stallone and De Niro fight in mo-cap suits. The acting is alright in the dramatic parts, but it seems like almost everyone, including Kevin Hart, is off on their comedic timing.

The jokes either land with a thud or make you roll your eyes. There isn't much of anything to recommend in Grudge Match, and it's a shame those two icons weren't given anything better to work with.