by Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi

‘Grudge Match’ is the macho-funny holiday flick that merges the all-time classics ‘Rocky’ and ‘Raging Bull,’ pairing up the aged and flabby Sylvester Stallone and Bob De Niro on the box ring.

Two retired Pittsburgh boxers, Billy “The Kid” McDonnen (De Niro) and Henry “Razor” Sharp (Stallone), have an unsettled thirty year old grudge. It revolves around the fact that Razor retired the night before their match for the title, thus destroying both of their careers, along with the fact that his at the time girlfriend, Sally Rose (Basinger), was seduced by The Kid. Now they have an opportunity to get the score even with one last rematch, it will be hard to stay focused while they're blowing up on social networks and struggling physically with their age and the training.

It’s entrancing to see how the macho legends of the silver screen, Stallone and De Niro have withered into flaccid elderly men, while Kim Basinger, has increased in beauty, charm and allure with age.

The sports comedy is ironic, moving, energetic and galvanising. It’s refreshing to see how an old grudge can be overcome, without necessarily flowing into excessively moral and benevolent behaviour. Director Peter Segal, finds the proper balance to embrace a variety of emotional peaks, without being sucked up in cliché, and yet delivering a successful blockbuster.

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