The jokes are clumsy, the dramatic scenes stale and lifeless; like the climactic bout, the movie itself is a freak show, a fantasy matchup between two icons with nothing better to do than spend down their legacies.
– J. R. Jones,
Chicago Reader,
26 Dec 2013
rotten:
"Grudge Match" at its core is an affront to the cinema gods, an attempt to capitalize off two iconic films for a few cheap laughs.
– Peter Hartlaub,
San Francisco Chronicle,
26 Dec 2013
rotten:
Pleasant but underwhelming, it feels like something that belongs on the undercard, never reaching the heights of a main event.
– Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Dec 2013
rotten:
This one probably never could have been a contender.
– Laremy Legel,
Film.com,
26 Dec 2013
fresh:
By the time Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro start training for the big match -- it's called Grudgment Day -- you give in because, surprisingly, both actors have reported for duty, especially De Niro.