35
Metascore
32 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 67The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyThe A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyA pleasant, albeit very minor, surprise: a movie that never quite rises above its clichés, but which nonetheless tries to invest them with emotional credibility.
- 50Slant MagazineSteve MacfarlaneSlant MagazineSteve MacfarlaneIt will come as a surprise to none that Grudge Match is so wantonly clichéd that to watch it is to explore the outer perimeters of one's own tolerance for a specific type of feel-good sports film.
- 50The PlaylistKimber MyersThe PlaylistKimber MyersWhile it’s an occasionally funny film with good performances from its stars, it’s poorly and cheaply made.
- 40VarietyAndrew BarkerVarietyAndrew BarkerEssentially recasting “Grumpy Old Men” with the senescent specters of Rocky Balboa and Jake LaMotta, the result is sporadically amusing, with some chucklesome sight gags and crowdpleasing supporting turns from Alan Arkin and Kevin Hart, yet it’s all so overcooked that it defeats its own purpose.
- 38Chicago Sun-TimesBill StametsChicago Sun-TimesBill StametsGrudge Match does not work on any level. The story is unconvincing. The comedy elements are weak... And, worst of all, the acting in most scenes — particularly those involving Sylvester Stallone and Kim Basinger — is atrocious.
- 38USA TodayScott BowlesUSA TodayScott BowlesGrudge could have saved itself with a rousing finale, but the buildup is so tedious you just want the fight to end.
- 30The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe movie only wakes up when Hart and/or Arkin are on screen (preferably together).
- 30The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen Holden[An] overlong, drab, not-so-funny sports comedy.
- 20New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanA director who really wanted to honor these actors’ legendary roles, rather than simply use them as a marketing hook, might have found a way to make this concept palatable. Segal (“Get Smart”) is not that director.
- 0Austin ChronicleMarc SavlovAustin ChronicleMarc SavlovThis is a strange, unfunny, and unmoving boxing riff that simultaneously apes the hoary templates of Thirties and Forties fisticuffs films, nails cliches, and telegraphs its eventual outcome at every opportunity. A remarkably uninspired movie overall, Grudge Match is pure pablum melodrama all the way down to the final count.