Review of Grudge Match (2013) by The Critic ( — 11 Jan 2015

There's a thrill at the thought of seeing the stars of two of Hollywood's most iconic boxing films - 'Rocky' (1976) and 'Raging Bull' (1980) - square off against one another. Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone are the Kid and Razor, old rivals who enter the ring after three decades of hostilities and a string of painful attempted promotions.

The pair are fun to watch, but the material is so paint-by-numbers that there's only so much they can do. There are, needless to say, moments of fun (their rendition of the 'Star Spangled Banner' is hilarious) and some genuinely well done dramatics, especially when the lovely Kim Basinger enters the scene, but 'Grudge Match' doesn't really have much to say for itself.