Like so many other people my first thought after seeing the trailer was: "WHY are they doing it? This will be pathetic!". Our family still went to see this movie on the opening day - and me, my wife, and the kids aged 10 and 14 all had a lot of fun watching it. Yes, it had some cheesy lines and less than perfect moments but I would never call it pathetic. I liked it so much that I registered on IMDb to write my first review. The movie actually answers the "why" question - and somehow this answer is the best way to describe how the film makes you feel. Yes, De Niro and Stallone fully realize that they are way past their prime and will never make anything comparable to "Raging Bull" or original "Rocky". They just do not make the drama out of it, do not take themselves too seriously and do not see the roles that made them famous as some sacred ground that can't be touched. They just want to have some fun while they are alive - and may be help others have fun as well. Not a bad way to feel about getting older!

Sylvester Stallone must really love boxing. After returning to the Rocky films this past decade, he once again enters the ring in Grudge Match. But the smart thing here is that he's kind of poking fun at himself. Instead of trying to play a younger boxer which wouldn't be realistic anymore at his age, he plays a retired boxer who really is old this time around.

The story focuses on a rivalry between two boxers who fought each other a couple of times 30 years ago, winning one fight apiece. Naturally, that situation calls for a "rubber match" to decide the true winner. But it never happened. Hostility remains between the two guys 3 decades later though. Stallone plays Henry "Razor" Sharp and Robert De Niro plays Billy "The Kid" McDonnen. When the two both arrive on set for a computer-simulated video game that will use their likenesses, they engage in a physical altercation which soon goes viral for all the world to see. This prompts a desire to see the two of them in the ring together once again.

Kevin Hart plays the loud-mouth promoter who puts the fight on. He plays the same type of character he always plays, but still very funny nonetheless. The same goes for a funny Alan Arkin as Stallone's trainer who also plays the same type of character that he always does. So there's nothing truly unique about the movie, but it doesn't take itself too seriously and that's kind of a good thing. It focuses on the funny for the most part, but also adds some depth to the characters when it shows the struggles they're having in their personal lives. That's part of the reason they agree to do the fight... along with a genuine grudge the two still have between each other after all these years. Some of the jokes can be lame at times, but there are some good zingers here and there when seeing the two old guys poke fun at each other. And the fight at the end of the film is done well and worth waiting for.

Grudge Match is the story of two well-aged retired boxers, who happen to hate each other for varying reasons, who get talked into fighting the rematch that was supposed to happen 30 years prior. I don't think I'm alone in saying that there were some seriously low expectations going into this one, but I must say, there are MANY redeeming qualities about this movie that made it a great watch. The first thing that stands out to me is probably the first thing on everyone's mind - Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro combine to be about 320 years old. Why do we want to watch them fight??? Well, the movie is completely aware of your question, and answers you with this: Because it's FUN. The movie never shies away from how old they are, and plays on it for MANY fun moments. (On Stallone's end, they make more than a couple indirect references to the Rocky movies, with great effect.) The next thing that stands out? SOLID ACTING. The cast as a whole could have easily phoned this one in, relying on name-power so sell some tickets, but everyone seemed to be all-in with their characters, and give us scene after scene of good comedic interactions. Kevin Hart gives us some great moments, Stallone and DeNiro shine when sharing scenes, Alan Arkin is a pleasure to watch, Kim Basinger is still a fox, and - I'm just going to put this out there - Jon Bernthal is a future star, and he absolutely nails his role. (And the guest appearance of the UFC's Chael Sonnen was some sweet icing on the cake...the camera loves that guy...lol) It's not all perfect - it runs a bit too long (nearly 2 hours), and it does get pretty cheesy towards the end - but Grudge Match is a fun ride overall. If you're a boxing fan, boxing-movie fan, comedy fan, or a fan of anyone in this movie, don't miss it. Grudge Match scores a 3.5 out of 5 on the BDBOS. STAY THROUGH THE CREDITS!!! There's a couple of bonus scenes you'll want to catch. ...I've got the strangest craving for some butterscotch jellybeans...lol

Grudge match isa fun movie. It pokes fun at Stallone's most iconic role and at Deniro's Jake La Motta. Henry "RAZOR" Sharp is a talented tough Pittsburgh Boxer who has a rival in Kid MCdonnal. Both are talented and tough where Razor is humble Kid is loud. Where Both were at one time the Light heavyweight Champion of the world. Kid lets that define him Razor does not. When the first fight between them is hailed as a classic and the second fight breaks records and the fans demanding a third one. Razor walks away from billions back in 1984. the Why is a mystery. and the greatest rematch is only a fantasy. flash forward to 2012. Kid is a successful businessman owning a bar and a auto dealership and playing off of his boxing image. Razor is a welder at the dockyards and has been for the last thirty years. Both men are content. razor looks after his old trainer lighting played by Alan Arkin who steals the movie. When Razor and Kid's history is brought up on a sports show. the son of Razor's late manager comes to Razor with a offer film a video game with Kid. Needing the money he agrees to do it for 15 thousand. and when he meets Kid again their hatred for each other literally turns into a brawl that gets the world's attention. And the idea for the Grudge match is born. While training for it. Both men encounter secrets from their past. lost loves and most importantly grudging respect for one another. Stallone and Deniro play this one off wonderfully against one another. Stallone is the straight man and gets the best lines. Deniro is the comedic one and gets the best scenes. And Arkin steals the movie from under them. Grudge match is a good time at the movies . It's not what many people think it is. And because of that it's better then what people think it is.

The movie was exactly what I expected, perhaps with the exception of Kim Basinger who looks smoking hot at an age when most women need hearing aids and false teeth. You have these two old boxers who have had a grudge for 30 years, since they had to fight each other, but the fight was canceled. The film is all about they getting over it via a box match. The fact that they did that after 30 years (time in which neither really had a life) makes it spicier, but basically, that's just the sprinkling on the cake.

I can't say that I got inspired by the movie or anything, but it felt more real than many of the genre, probably because of all the history of the characters making them deeper, meatier. Most movies of this kind use cardboard roles that mean nothing to anyone, like the obe played by Kevin Hart. Even Kim Basinger's role was a typical cliché, the woman that has always loved a man, waiting for him no matter how boneheaded he is.

Bottom line: aside the old actors, this was a typical sports match thing. They train, they say their piece, they fight. Also, except some marketing lines about iPads and some "going viral" lines, this could have just as well been a 70's movie. Robert de Niro was a strange casting for a boxer, but he finally played a role I liked him in since... forever. And Sly Stallone brings a lot more melancholy in this film than in any of the Expendables.

What a refreshing and unexpected (but nice) surprise Grudge Match was for the wife and I to sit down on a Saturday night, plop the Blu Ray disc in and for the next 2 hours, just enjoy a decent film minus any drugs, knife fights, or guns a blazing. When you have two major action stars such as Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone one might expect that the testosterone level on the big screen would get a bit heavy especially considering the movies theme is about two old and retired fighters who come out of retirement after 30 years to put the gloves back on and get back in to the ring to settle a very old score since both fighters won one of their two previous matches while in their prime back in the 1980's.

Robert DeNiro plays Billy "The Kid" McDonnen. Now Billy has a very big ego and since his boxing career ended prematurely 30 years ago he has done pretty good for himself owning his own car dealership and a successful bar called the Knockout. There is one scene in the film that I just grinned from ear to ear as Billy did a stand-up comedy routine in his bar with a puppet dressed as a prize fighter sitting in his corner as Billy bantered back and forth with the prize fighter dummy. The scene is less than a minute long but I give it full credit for the originality.

Sylvester Stallone plays Henry "Razor" Sharp. Now Razor was the guy who decided to hang up his gloves in the prime of his fighting career and we eventually find out why he retired. No spoiler alert, you will have to wait and hear it from Razor himself why he chose to retire from the ring. Razor's life has been kind of frozen in time these past 30 years, and he now works as a laborer in a factory, goes home to an empty house with no TV, cable or internet, and eats canned tuna and over ripened bananas to make ends meet. Razors life seems very depressing. Something is bothering him and the audience gets interested in finding out what makes Razor tick. I would have thought a boxing genre film would have been easier to figure out but the screenwriters did a good job in keeping the plot a bit deeper than most boxing films and we gradually grow to like Razor's character and think less of Billy the Kid's shallow and selfish personality.

There is also a good supporting cast of characters such as Kevin Hart who plays fight promoter Dante Slate Jr.. Dante's deceased father used to promote Razor's fights and Razors' memories of Dante Slate Sr. are not very good as he recalls being ripped off of his prize fight earnings. So Razor instantly is not prepared to go back in to the ring with Dante Slate Jr. holding the purse strings. Eventually Dante convinces Razor to put the gloves back on, but only for a fight simulation video for a software video company who agrees to pay him $15K. The movie is worth watching if for nothing else but seeing Stallone and De Niro dressed up in their head to toe lime green leotards game gear costumes so the techies can video their fight simulation. Did I say fight simulation? Well once Billy and Razor are within ring distance of each other the brouhaha goes viral on the internet and "the fight is on man!" We eventually get introduced to Kim Basinger's character Sally, who plays Razor's old love interest. Something happened to split Razor and Sally apart 30 years ago and we find out why Razor is a bit disenchanted with his life. When Razor eventually does agree to fight Billy for the grudge match of the decade he asks his old and trusted trainer Louis Lightning Conlon, played by veteran actor Alan Arkin. Louis is currently in a wheelchair and residing in an old age home, but Razor still wants his old and trusted friend Louis to get him back in to fighting shape. Razor is an honorable man and true friend as part of his income is used to pay for his friends nursing home costs.

There are a couple of scenes that remind us in a fun way of Stallone's Rocky films that just add to the films humorous theme. Billy on the other hand goes through a few trainers including LL Cool J who plays Frankie Brite, and Billy eventually settles on having his long lost son BJ played smartly by Jon Bernthal to train him.

Before you know it, we are witness to the fight of the decade in front of 18,000 fight fans split between who they want to win the fight. Most film goers always have their own prediction on who will win the main event. Will Razor win? Will Billy the Kid win? Or maybe it will be a draw? As I said no spoiler alert coming from me, so let's just say the ending is a good one. No, let me rephrase this..., I would say the ending is even better than I anticipated it would be. I Give Grudge match an 8 out of 10 ranking for the 10 rounds that Grudge Match went. Watch it and you will not be disappointed. It's a knockout hit.

I went in hoping that I would be at least mildly entertained. Wow, was I wrong. This movie is solid entertainment with a soul. Yes there are some solid principles to live by in this movie... and some to ignore. The acting was superb. I expected Stallone and DeNiro to be somewhat burnt out. But, they portrayed vivid characters. Stallone's motivation as a character was largely a mystery until about halfway into the movie. Definitely a mirror of life today. And, it had a decent ending that was digestible. I respected their life work before. But, this movie is likely to make you a fan... or at least of the story. I did not mention the other actors. But they are all stars in this worthy story, filled with laughs, mystery, and drama. What's not to like?

'Grudge Match' is a pleasant surprise. A highly entertaining sports-comedy, that is also rich in emotions & performances. It's All Good Fun!

'Grudge Match' Synopsis: A pair of aging boxing rivals are coaxed out of retirement to fight one final bout -- 30 years after their last match.

'Grudge Match' works because the Screenplay Written by Doug Ellin, Tim Kelleher & Rodney Rothman, is thoroughly enjoyable! The rivalry between the boxing legends, has depth & a strong under-current of emotions. 'Grudge Match' is not only about boxing, it's also about love, relationships & redemption. It's about the battles we face outside the ring.

Peter Segal's Direction deserves distinction marks. Cinematography is vast. Editing is sharp. Make-Up is well-done.

Performance-Wise: Stallone & De Niro are a joy to watch, as always. I mean it's Rocky versus Raging Bull, it clearly couldn't get better! Kim Basinger adds tremendous weight to her character. Alan Arkin is outstanding. The Acting Legend is in top-form! Kevin Hart is first-rate. Jon Bernthal is perfect.

On the whole, 'Grudge Match' is a winner. Thumbs Up!

Barely a minute after he shows up on screen, silver screen legend Robert De Niro utters the immortal words: "I didn't have a groin itch - I'm just a great actor!" Whether you find that hilarious or tragic will probably determine your reaction to the well-intentioned but painfully mediocre Grudge Match.

The grudge of the film's title is the one that has lasted for decades between Billy 'The Kid' McDonnen (De Niro) and Henry 'Razor' Sharp (Sylvester Stallone). In their prime, the two men were the talk of the boxing world. Kid won their first match, Razor their second - but, before their final face-off, Razor quit boxing. Fast-forward thirty years: Kid remains a publicity-hungry Lothario, furious that he never got a chance to prove he was the better fighter; Razor works in a steel mill and is struggling to make ends meet. Neither can refuse when the opportunity to get back into the ring presents itself.

The draw of the film, of course, is to see Jake 'Raging Bull' LaMotta and Rocky Balboa duke it out in the ring. De Niro knows it, Stallone knows it, we know it. Both men gamely play off and send up the iconic characters they played decades ago, cheekily winking at - or desecrating, depending on your point of view - their respective cinematic legacies. Actually, it would all be somewhat thrilling if the script weren't so predictable and sluggish.

Like most of the comedies De Niro finds himself slumming in these days, Grudge Match has a few fun moments (standout: a mile-high publicity stunt) and a handful of good lines. It even gets better as it goes along, kind of - the two prickly protagonists arrive at an understanding that makes more emotional sense than you might expect.

But the film as a whole plods by, half ribald comedy, half brooding drama, and never presents either of its leads with moments that they're fully capable of making memorable. Instead, it gently embarrasses them, pressing home the point that they're not as young as they once were by flinging (bad) jokes about iPads, hearing aids and old-man boobs in their direction, while stuffing them into ungainly motion-capture suits.

To their credit, both De Niro and Stallone show up dutifully for work. They are, at least, worth the watch. De Niro takes the more broadly comedic part, and manfully tries to create a credible relationship with his new-found son B.J. (Jon Bernthal) and grandson Trey (Camden Grey). Stallone manages to dig up some grace notes in his scenes with 'Lightning' (Alan Arkin), his doddering old trainer, and Sally (Kim Basinger), the woman who stirred up even more trouble between Razor and Kid back in the day.

Even so, it's hard to watch Grudge Match without a lingering sense of disappointment. The material is nowhere near as good as the two lead actors deserve, and persists in undercutting them in ways that probably seemed funny on paper but are simply sad in the cinema. At one point in the film, a physical trainer yells at De Niro, "A good performer knows when to get offstage!", followed shortly by, "Where's your sense of dignity?" In a movie like this one, it's hard to take that moment in a purely fictional sense.

This isn't just a comedy-boxing movie with old people, but a long awaited fight between the actor that played Rocky and the actor who played Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull, the 2 greatest boxing movies of all time, and I just had to know who would win. Even though this is the only boxing comedy I even know about, Grudge Match was solid, extremely funny, and even more entertaining. Kevin Hart and Jon Bernthal were fitting choices to round out the ensemble cast. Because Grudge Match didn't take itself seriously at all, this movie isn't for everyone. But if you like these actors and prefer comedy over drama, I think that you will like Grudge Match very much.

the vast majority of bad reviews for this film are likely the result of reviewers inability to view this film objectively. the fact is that this film has very little to do with either 'Rocky' or 'Raging Bull'. it pays homage to those films, nothing more.

lots of people think Stallone can't act, and De niro can't do funny. neither is 100% true and this movie is proof. is it great? no. but everybody involved did good work and it shows. the only way you couldn't feel happy and satisfied after watching this film is if you are die hard for the classics, in which case i say, 'lighten up'.

people find 'Grudge Match' to be an insult to the classics. it isn't. actually attempting to make a Balboa vs. LaMotta film would have been, though.

Don't worry about spoiler alerts. The hack comedy writing in this movie is so predictable that a child would know the punchline before it hits. I can't believe I sat through this.

It's not like I expected this to be the best movie of all time, but you'd think it would have at least been a good time with half decent jokes that would elicit a few giggles.

Kevin Hart's lines were absolutely brutal and his character was more annoying than Chris Tucker sucking on helium balloons. Then you have Alan Arkin who is basically part of an ongoing "I'm old and have a hearing aid" bit for the entire movie. There was nothing funny or touching about this movie at all.

I give this 2 stars, 1 for me sitting there for the whole thing and the other for the Tyson/Holyfield bit before the credits.

I saw Grudge Match in an early screening and I (as most of the audience) had so much fun. This is a light hearted, nostalgic film with lots of great jokes and a fantastic cast.

Kevin Hart delivers, he fits just perfectly in his role. Alan Arkin steals the show in this one. He is so damn funny with his great one liners and his impressively cool acting. It is also great to see the beautiful Kim Basinger on the big screen again. De Niro and Stallone look 20 years younger than their real age when fighting in the ring, well choreographed fight scenes by the way. The physics of both Stallone and De Niro is just impressive. Most 30 year old would be more than happy to have a body like these two old-timers. There are some Rocky references in the film, and they are classy ones.

I find this to be the perfect film for the Christmas Days to have a great time at the movies. It certainly is not made to please the critics, it is made to entertain the audience and create a warm, nostalgic atmosphere. And without any doubt, the film delivers! Can't wait to see it with some friends on Christmas Day...

A story about 2 washed up boxers getting back in the ring for one last fight. On paper, it may have sounded good and with the right comical aspect, it could have worked, but think about it for a second and you and you will see that this movie had a low rate of success right from the get go.

There's nothing funny or entertaining about watching 2 washed up boxers going at it. Oddly enough, DeNiro was better suited in this film then Stallone was and Stallone just makes the movie more depressing then what it should have been, I'm not sure there's a comedic bone in Stallone's body.

It's not really a comedy, tho what comedic value the movie did bring to the table, saved it from being an utter fail.