Review of Grudge Match (2013) by Michael M — 26 Dec 2013

Where do you start reviewing a movie like Grudge Match. There is absolutely no way this can work. Rocky vs. Jake La Motta and a 60 year old Kim Basinger. This has to be a recipe for disaster. Why do these icons need to sell out? Well, surprisingly this turned out to be a lot less worse than I ever expected.

Sure it's pure saccharin, Kevin Hart is very irritating and Alan Arkin plays too much of an imbecile but for better or worse the movie is entertaining, sweet at times and utterly predictable. What's interesting is that while the whole thing is scripted beyond belief, one can remain relatively interested.

Of course this is not even in the top 1000 boxing movies and most professional critics and purists will hate it , I can totally understand why since it feels like a betrayal of sorts. Why would these two icons of movies and boxing lend themselves to this? Well, perhaps because just like boxing, they are passé and increasingly irrelevant. This movie feels like a last cry for desperation before both Sly and DeNiro become full time grandpas.

While I cannot say this is a good movie or even something you should watch during this crazy movie season, it's certainly endearing and can be fun at times. Basically watch only if the other options are sold out.