Mean-spirited comedy

Rating: 4/10 (3 March 2017)

GRUDGE MATCH feels a little like the boxing version of THE EXPENDABLES at times. It fears a world-weary Sly Stallone (a typical type of character for him, these days) playing a former boxing champion who comes out of retirement for one last match with his old rival, played by Robert De Niro. Yep, it's a simple film built around the premise 'Rocky vs. Raging Bull', with no more depth to it than that.
Well, there is depth, but it's TV movie-style sentiment and family affairs-type material which I tend to avoid like the plague. It's a pity, as both Kim Basinger and Jon Bernthal have given great performances elsewhere but are wasted in minor roles like this. Stallone remains as likable as ever but De Niro plays a largely unsympathetic role, which is mainly down to the script. As a comedy, this isn't very funny at all, as it's way too mean-spirited and ugly with constant jokes aimed at physical appearance and the like. The only good thing about it is the brutal final fight, which is almost worth the wait.