Grudge Match (4/8/2014)

Rated PG-13 for sports action violence, sexual content and language.

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Kevin Hart, Alan Arkin and Kim Basinger

Directed by Peter Segal (Get Smart, The Longest Yard and 50 First Dates)

It’s obvious that someone thought this was a good idea.

In Grudge Match, De Niro and Stallone play Billy “The Kid” McDonnen and Henry “Razor” Sharp, two local Pittsburgh fighters whose fierce rivalry put them in the national spotlight. Each had scored a victory against the other during their heyday, but in 1983, on the eve of their decisive third match, Razor suddenly announced his retirement, refusing to explain why but effectively delivering a knock-out punch to both their careers. Thirty years later, boxing promoter Dante Slate Jr., seeing big dollar signs, makes them an offer they can’t refuse: to re-enter the ring and settle the score once and for all.

But they may not have to wait that long: on their first encounter in decades, their long-festering feud erupts into an unintentionally hilarious melee that instantly goes viral. The sudden social media frenzy transforms their local grudge match into a must-see HBO event. Now, if they can just survive the training, they may actually live to fight again.

So just to set the record straight, Grudge Match is Rocky vs. Raging Bull…and if you don’t know who those to characters are…you’ll enjoy this film even less. I mean seriously, when you put two actors (who are both pushing 70) in the ring to box…it’s kinda sad. Then you throw in Kevin Hart, overuse the old-men-who-are-out-of-touch jokes and allow Stallone and De Niro to “sing” the national anthem…this movie is just unwatchable.

Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro are in great shape for being 70, but they should not be taking their shirts off to box. Alan Arkin is older and his lines are even more cliché. Kim Basinger’s character tries to add some depth to the story line, but that works as well as the “old school” jokes. The story is actually shallow and predictable from the training sequences and the “I’m sore” scenes to the forced sappy father/son storyline.

I grew up watching Rocky…and I still get pumped up when I hear “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor, but Grudge Match is the worst boxing movie ever…and I sat through Rocky V.

I’m tapping out…this one is a “Coaster.”

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
There’s no sex or nudity, but there are some crude jokes. There is a scene where we see a man and woman exit a bar, and they both get into the back seat of a car, the scene cuts to a man knocking at the window, the man stands up wearing boxer shorts, the woman’s shoulders are seen.

There are some violent boxing scenes and 1 use of the F-word, and 3 possible bleeped uses (we see the lips forming the F). There’s also pretty frequent use of the S-word and some others. There are several racist jokes.

CONVERSATION STARTER:

1. In the film, the boxers face unrelenting insults from the media, other boxers and each other about their age. Very few people believe they can do it.

   Read 1 Timothy 4:12

   
   Don’t let anyone make fun of you, just because you are young. Set an example for other followers by what you say and do, as well as by your love, faith, and purity.
   
   What are some things people may think you can’t do because of your age?


2. According to this verse how can you be an example?


3. What are some specific things you can do this week to be an example to people older than you?