6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A pair of aging boxing rivals are coaxed out of retirement to fight one final bout -- 30 years after their last match.
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Kim Basinger, Alan Arkin, Kevin HartComedy | 100% |
Sport | 88% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Rocky Balboa on the big screen with Jake LaMotta? Stallone vs. De Niro, in a fist-flinging battle of boxing's most iconic cinematic heavyweights? Who wouldn't be intrigued by the possibilities? Unfortunately, Grudge Match takes one wrong turn too many, squanders opportunity after opportunity, and milks the same wide punch -- Stallone going toe to toe with De Niro, in the ring and out -- again and again and again until it exhausts all its power. The missteps? Swapping what could have been a bristling dual-character drama for another grizzled icon comedy. Flat jokes, dead-on-arrival one-liners and tiresome gags ripped straight out of a dozen lesser films. A wobbly, uneven screenplay unsure of what move it wants to make next. Geriatric pacing. Dodgy CG facelifts. Kim Basinger and Kevin Hart, telegraphing every swing. The most out of place feel-good ending you're likely to roll your eyes through all year. And montages, montages and moooore montages! The hits just keep on coming. Stallone and De Niro give their best, and do manage to hold the movie together, but their best isn't enough. Grudge Match is a casting coup curiosity that makes for a semi-decent rainy day rental, little more.
Grudge Match steps into the ring with a 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation as young and spry as a recent theatrical release should offer. Colors are lifelike and natural, with strong primaries, well-saturated skintones and deep, satisfying black levels. Contrast is a touch hot but consistent, and detail is excellent. Edges are crisply defined, fine textures are nicely resolved and delineation doesn't falter. There are several shots that fall victim to shoddy CG, many of which suffer with wobbling, plasticized faces. (Stallone and De Niro's mugs have been digitally de-aged and planted atop stand-in bodies, an effect that's shaky at best. There's even a ridiculously shaky shot of De Niro's head all but floating on the shoulders of a Dancing with the Stars contestant late in the film. And yes, it's as bad as it sounds.) Even so, any and every associated eyesore traces back to the source, not the notably proficient encode. To Warner's credit, artifacting and banding aren't in play, aliasing and shimmering don't rear their gnarled heads, and other issues like crush and ringing are kept to the barest of minimums. Short version? Grudge Match doesn't disappoint.
The film's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track does a fine job with everything it's given too... although, outside of the ring, that doesn't amount to a whole lot. The bulk of Grudge Match is fairly front-heavy, with quieter conversations and score-less stretches dominating the proceedings. There are numerous standout elements and sequences -- The Kid's gym is a hotspot of directional activity, crowded bars and publicity events convincingly spread the boxers' fans and detractors around the soundfield, an MMA visit features a particularly immersive stadium, and the climactic rematch between Razor and The Kid offers ample sonic style and substance -- but it does lead to a slightly erratic experience. Still, dialogue is clear and intelligible at all times, prioritization is spot on, rear speaker activity is engaging, and the LFE channel grants every jab, body blow and hook welcome weight and power. The soundtrack also offers a number of punchy rock anthems from years past, each one making its presence known the moment it comes out swinging. All told, the lossless track sounds quite good. Not remarkable, but pretty good.
Grudge Match isn't the next great boxing classic. It wouldn't last three seconds in the ring with Rocky or Raging Bull, and even Rocky V would have a good shot of putting it on its back. Even those who enjoy its drunken genre hopping will forget it by the next morning. The draw, of course, is Stallone and De Niro, and they do deliver some memorable moments. But beyond Rocky and LaMotta, there just isn't much to like. Warner's Blu-ray release is a more worthy contender, with a terrific video presentation and solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, but its featherweight supplemental package leaves a lot to be desired. All that being said, some of you will undoubtedly get a kick out of Grudge Match -- mainly those who can be sustained simply by watching Stallone and De Niro go mano a mano in a boxing movie -- making it, at the very least, worth renting.
2014
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