In “Grudge Match,” Billy “The Kid” McDonnen (De Niro) and Henry “Razor” Sharp (Stallone) are 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.
When I saw the first trailer for this film I thought that it looked like a funny but not all that promising premise. Well I'm glad to say i was wrong and had quite an enjoyable time viewing this comedy. Sylvester Stallone brings a hint of Rocky to his character as "Razor" and plays the straight man well. DeNiro is a lot of fun as the womanizing and selfish Billy "The Kid". Besides the scenes with his grown son played by the always solid John Bernthall he is not the most likeable guy which works for the film and he doesn't come around until the end of the film with a showing of true sportsmanship. Rest of the cast is rounded out by the cantakerous and hilarious Alan Arkin as Razor's trainer. Kim Bassinger adds some warmth as the love interest and I must say she looks amazing still and must be drinking from the fountain of youth. Kevin Hart is the disgraced son of a former boxing promoter who comes up with he plan to have The Kid and Razor fight their rubber match 30 years later.
There are some funny visual gags during the training scenes. Pacing takes a little hit just past the hour mark but picks back up nicely. I did feel there was a bit too many old man jokes after awhile form Hart's character but other than those minor things this is a fine comedy and great to see Stallone and DeNiro working together for the first time since the stellar Copland. 8.5/10
Grudge Match arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1 - The first few moments of footage is a mix of vintage pics, vintage footage and artificially aged footage. Once we get past that this colors consist mostly of earth tones with some nice flashes of brighter colors such as a yellow Porsche and the comical flourescent green motion capture suits worn by Stallone and DeNiro. Skin tones have a natural look to them. Black levels were solid with good contrast throughout. The image is sharp with clear definition on wrinkles, clothing textures and all the people in the crowd during the Grudge Match. No signs of edge enhancement or banding leads to a knockout presentation. 9/10
Audio is provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. - Dialogue was placed front and center and was clear throughout the film. Surrounds are used for crowd din, bleeding of the fun music cues and some light environmental effects. Bass performance was good and really kicked in nice with the rock music played for the fighter's entrances but I was hoping it added a little more depth to the punches during the big fight. It could be that they were trying to emphasize these older boxers just don't have the same power they used to have but not certain. This is a crisp and clear track with no issues otherwise. 8.5/10
* The Bull & The Stallion (HD, 14min18sec) - Cast and crew speak on how Stallone scripted and and staged the fight. DeNiro and Stallone have a fun time improving on set. Stallone kept egging on DeNiro to hit him for real and he gets it good. Both stars used no stunt doubles for the Grudge Match fight.
* In the Ring with Kevin Hart (HD, 5min) - See the funny man on set doing his thing. Director Peter Segal says that Alan Arkin and Hart working together was "gold".
* Kevin Hart Unedited (HD, 3min57sec) - Alternate takes of scenes featuring Kevin Hart and his improvisational skills.
* Ringside with Tyson & Holyfield (HD, 3min17sec) - Both former champs are interviewed about the fictional "Grudge Match" and the combatants.
* Blow for Blow with Larry Holmes with Intro by Peter Segal (HD, 3min34sec) - The former Heavyweight Champion in a brief interview.
* Alternate Opening with Intro by Peter Segal (HD, 6min45sec) - A longer opening sequence that includes more early Kid and Razor footage without the CG faces added on. John Bernthall was actually filmed for the younger boxing scenes due to him having the same body type.
* Alternate Endings with Intro by Peter Segal (HD, 3min22sec) - Features one with The Kid winning and another with both fighters finishing with a draw. The last one is a bit too somber and the ending in the film was the right choice.
* Deleted Scenes (HD, Play All 6min44sec) - Six scenes in total with intros by the director except for the last one. Scenes include Kid vs. Jabby, Callahan Interactive, The Rubdown, Iron Mike and The Real Deal, Lightning's TV, and Razor's Autograph
