Search - Grumpier Old Men on DVD

Gail F. from PITTSBURGH, PA
Reviewed on 2/20/2009...

One laugh after another by real professionals

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

WHO SAYS OLD FOLKS CAN'T HAVE FUN?

Michael Butts | Martinsburg, WV USA | 07/02/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Although GRUMPIER OLD MEN is merely a rehashing of its predecessor, it's worth watching to see the glowing mature beauty of both Sophia Loren (looking absolutely gorgeous)and Ann-Margret. Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and even crusty old Burgess Meredith (whose delightful outtakes are priceless) show that the septa and octogenarian sets can still spoon and swoon. Loren plays a sexy entrepreneur who is going to turn the trusty old bait shop into a ristorante, which ignites the fury of both Matthau and Lemmon, so they decide to try all kinds of ruses to make sure Loren's a flop. Of course, Matthau falls hard for Loren (who wouldn't) and their subsequent courting propels the rest of the movie. Ms. Margret doesn't have a lot to do in this one, but her presence is heartily appreciated. Ann Morgan Guilbert (from the old Dick Van Dyke series) is good as Loren's feisty Mama. You'll chuckle and smile at these old codgers, but you'll be entertained by the sheer star power of some of our finest actors and actresses."

A Stunning Improvement Over The First Chapter

Anthony Nasti | Staten Island, New York United States | 07/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am compelled to say that this film is not only my favorite film of all time, but also I feel it's the best sequel ever made. Now some might tell you it's "Batman Returns" or "Godfather Part II". That's where they're wrong. Those films were as good as the originals. This film is better. Way better.

In fact, this film stands head and shoulders above the first one. The first one was okay, but I felt the overall plot was shied away from at times and also a lot of the lines that were supposed to be funny in it seem dated now. However, the lines in this one are pure ear candy. Every insult, jab and zinger Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau fire at each other are hilarious and quotable.

The entire main cast from the first film returns for this second chapter, which picks up six months after the events of the first film. John (Lemmon) amd Ariel (Ann-Margret) are now happily married and enjoying their autumn years. Max (Matthau), meanwhile, is starting to get along with John, but at the same time feels envious over the relationship between his neighbors. The impending wedding between John's daughter Melanie (Daryl Hannah) and Max's son Jacob (Kevin Pollak) puts a feeling of spring in the fall air. But this feeling of pure serenity is interrupted when a fiery Italian beauty named Maria Rogetti (Sophia Loren) and her fiesty mother (Ann Morgan Guilbert) come to town and turn the old men's beloved baitshop into an Italian restaurant. Max and John are up in arms about the whole idea, and will do everything in their power to prevent it from happening. However, the plan goes south when Max falls hard for Maria. However, in true "Grumpy" fashion, as Jake and Melanie call off the wedding, causing Max and John to butt heads once more. As usual, things culminate in a predictable fashion, however, unlike the last one, the ending to this film really is great and the outtakes are extremely funny.

This film corrects everything that was done wrong in part one and does it perfectly. I said in my review of part one that the film's main love interest (played by Ann-Margret) was underused and the film became boring when she wasn't onscreen. Not here. In this one, Sophia Loren appears in almost every scene, and like Ann-Margret, is certainly something to look at it. As I said earlier, the lines between Matthau and Lemmon are way funnier than those in part one. But the biggest corection they made was how they treated Burgess Meredith. Returning as Lemmon's dad, Meredith owns the movie: his bacon story, his flirting with Ann Morgan Guilbert (who, despite playing Loren's mother, is actually only six years older than Loren in real life), his retelling of the Three Bears - all classic. It's hard to not to shed even a slight tear when his character dies, as you wish to hear what adivee he would give to Lemmon at that particular point in the film.

This film is way better than the first as well as my favorite movie ever and an absolute must for any dvd collection. I would recommend this in a heartbeat."