Grudge Match Trailer Reaction

Wanna see Rocky Balboa fight the movie version of Jake LaMotta?

That’s pretty much the loose premise of this comedy starring Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro. Sure they aren’t really playing those characters in the movie…but the actors who played them are.

Yes…it’s a stretch and a bit of a one trick pony.

But for whatever reason, based on this trailer it seems to work…well almost work. This movie is Hollywood fluff. I don’t think anyone involved would argue against that. The movie is obviously going to have Rocky and Raging Bull inspired jokes sprinkled throughout and it’s fun to see Stallone and De Niro bounce off each other in a Grumpy Old Men sort of way. It’s also great to throw Kevin Hart and Alan Arkin in there to stir things up. But what sort of surprised me about the trailer is the themes of living a fulfilling life into your later years.

It seems, at least to me, that it was just yesterday when we watched a buffed up Rocky Balboa fight Ivan Drago in Rocky 4. And even sooner when we saw a ripped up De Niro terrorize a family in Scorsese’s Cape Fear.

Where did the time go?

Seeing an older Stallone and De Niro square off only seems to drive home the point that

time is flying by.

When did Stallone and De Niro become Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau?

I know the easy thing would be to criticize this movie as a shameless money grab. Which it is. But a part of me is looking forward to seeing these two actors confront the themes of aging.

The truth is it won’t be long when they’ll be gone and we’ll be wishing we had the chance to see these two acting legends in just one more thing…anything…even something as harmless and mainstream as this.

Grudge Match stars Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Alan Arkin, Kevin Hart, Kim Bassinger and Jon Bernthal. The film is written by Tim Kelleher and Rodney Rothman. Grudge Match is directed by Peter Segel and is scheduled for release December 25, 2013.

Official Synopsis:

 

Award-winning movie legends Oscar® winner Robert De Niro (“Raging Bull,” “Silver Linings Playbook”) and Oscar® nominee Sylvester Stallone (the “Rocky” films, “The Expendables”) star as old boxing rivals who come out of retirement for one final 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.

Secret life of walter mitty Trailer Reaction

There are few films more beloved than The 1947 film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty starring Danny Kaye.

Although the advancement of special effects would make the story a prime candidate for a remake, filmmakers have hesitated to take up the challenge.

So it comes as a bit of a surprise that comedian Ben Stiller has decided to tackle the project. Although, a versatile performer and director his resume doesn’t draw many comparisons to the affable Danny Kaye.

Based on the trailer this looks like a sensitive and ambitious take on the original short story and less the the Danny Kaye film. The use of special effects are prevalent in the trailer. But there is also a sensitivity and quirkiness which may draw comparisons to the works of Michel Gondry or Spike Jonze.

In any event, it appears like Ben Stiller is nailing the tone. I can see the film having a profound effect on audiences who can relate to the life affirming hopes of the working class. Much like the film Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray.

But the release date clearly points to a more ambitious goal then a modest performing cult comedy. It’s being released right in the wheelhouse of prime awards season consideration. Christmas day in fact.

It’s hard to say if the film will garner that kind of attention. This year is shaping up to be a very competitive awards season with films such as 12 Years a Slave, All is Lost, The Monuments Men and American Hustle already garnering significant buzz.

But it’s an exciting opportunity for Ben Stiller. Although his works are admittedly silly and over-the-top comedies which are successful and enjoyable. It’s great to see Stiller stretch his artistic wings a bit like he did in his early work in independent films.

THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY stars Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott Kathryn Hahn, Shirley Maclaine and Sean Penn. The film is directed by Ben Stiller and is written by Steve Conrad and James Thurber. The Secret life of Walter Mitty is scheduled for release December 25, 2013.

Official Synopsis:

Ben Stiller directs and stars in THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY, James Thurber’s classic story of a day-dreamer who escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action. When his job along with that of his co-worker (Kristen Wiig) are threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined.