Some huge missed potential but still something for the fans

Rating: 6/10 (1 January 2014)

Anyone who reads my reviews regularly will know that this is a biased review for me. I live and breath Stallone. I adore the guy, grew up with him as many of you did, and will pay through the teeth to see anything he does no matter how bad and I will desperately try to find the good in it. So its safe to say my expectations were extremely high because I was about to see my Hollywood hero on the big screen again and boxing nonetheless. On top of that Robert DeNiro is high up on my Hollywood heroes list and synonymous with boxing in his own right (though I hated Raging Bull..I appreciate it for its classic status.) The potential to do this movie right was huge. In the right hands they could have made this a cutting edge comedy/drama that was geared towards an older demographic and fill it with heart, and passion and fun. They achieve all this but on a much, much smaller scale. It has a little bit of comedy, satire, drama and is geared towards that older demographic and has a little heart, passion and a little fun. I would guess that our director probably didn't really put his full effort into this and let some of it fall flat which is truly unfortunate. On top of that you have easily one of the worst performances I have seen on the big screen in a very, very long time (more on that in a moment.) Still the movie is fun at times and tells a decent story.
Sylvester Stallone is great in his role as Razor Sharp. He isn't Rocky so you can toss those comparisons out the window. He's a smart guy, artistic, passionate who hasn't moved with the times very well and was close to being on top but then spent the rest of his life working an assembly line in a factory. His performance is much better than what the script gives him to work with. I am glad to say he is one of the better parts of this movie. Same could be said for Robert Deniro. His role as the pompous, loud mouth Billy "The Kid" is perfect for him. Granted its sort of Deniro being Deniro but sometimes that is what's best and it works. The sub-story with him and his long lost son and grandson add a lot of the heart to the film. The thing that perhaps disappointed me the most was the lack of true chemistry between Deniro and Stallone. The entire film hinges on their comedic and passionate rivalry and that part of the film feels forced and often falls flat right up until the end. I worried immediately from the trailers that Kevin Hart would be obnoxious, annoying and distracting. Ding Ding Ding. Called that bout. He is all of that and more. His character doesn't fit this film even a little bit and he's incredibly annoying. Grudge Match is a very dry, satirical comedy not slapstick and Kevin Hart is just being himself and it doesn't work. There is a hint of fun chemistry between him and Stallone and also him and Arkin but they don't play on that enough to make it worthwhile. Alan Arkin (as many reviewers have pointed out) yet again plays a crotchety old man. However, his role is terrific and I loved it. He demonstrates a re-invigoration and he makes Stallone seem slightly younger than what he is. Arkin could have been amazing in the part with a better script but then most of them could have been. A better script would not have saved Kim Basinger. Being buried alive twenty feet deep couldn't have saved her from one of the worst performances on screen I've seen in years. She is wooden, campy, looks high, is so full of plastic she can't even move her face...she is just awful. I can't believe she didn't get nominated for Razzies when Stallone and Deniro did! Kim...let it go, pack it in, you're horrendous on camera. She took the entire cast down at least a peg or two. Jon Bernthal and Camden Gray are decent in their perspective roles as Deniro's son and grandson. Gray is a little bit campy (but adorable) and Bernthal does a solid job considering the character is underused.
I can't help but wonder how much better this would have been had Stallone did directing duties. If you wonder how much potential was lost on this movie just watch the last half hour. That is the best of the entire film with a well choreographed, uplifted and well done fight scene that wraps everything up in a great way. It was just amazing as a fan to see Stallone back in the ring probably for one last time (although if Creed happens then maybe not.) Director Peter Segal is a decent director but he is a through and through comedy director and this film needed someone who can handle comedy/drama/and an emotional story to really bring out the details. The script was sub-par there is no doubt about it and its unfortunate because they had a lot of ducks in a row but then they start throwing rocks into the mix. Still Stallone/Deniro/Rocky fans will find enough in this to be redeemable and enjoyable. I am certainly glad I saw it but for the average film goer you will likely find it nearly boring and certain bad scenes drag the film down significantly. I hate that Stallone's films aren't doing so well except for The Expendables because I don't want him to slow down one bit. 6/10