MOVIE REVIEW: GRUMPIER OLD MEN (1995)

This is another film dating back to right around the time I stopped writing reviews. It’s hard enough to remember details from so long ago, but the difficulty is amplified by the fact that the plot points of this sequel have blended with those of the original in my mind. Grumpy Old Men was a harmless hoot, and this follow-up serves up more of the same. In a lot of ways that’s a good thing, but (as evidenced by my own recollection), more of the same can also make a sequel fail to stand apart from its predecessor.

Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau are back in action as witty Minnesota neighbors John and Max. The events of the first film and the ensuing years have turned their animosity into friendship, but their worlds mutually rocked when their favorite bait shop is slated to be turned into a restaurant. John and Max join forces to try to sabotage the new owner’s plans, but that is thwarted when Max takes a liking to the owner, played by Sophia Loren. A side plotline focuses on the stalled marriage plans between John’s daughter and Max’s son, which causes a rekindling in the feuding between the old men.

For an hour and 40 minutes, maybe there is too much stuffed into this film. They’re friends and co-conspirators but that ends quickly when Max gets the hots for Loren’s character. Then they become enemies again because of their kids in order to live up to the title, but they bury the hatchet again to help their kids. It’s almost like they wanted the vibe and aura of Lemmon and Matthau’s characters but didn’t have a good roadmap for how to make it work after the resolution of the first film. This time around, there are too many changes in direction.

Burgess Meredith is a scene-stealer, as his character tries to start a romance with the Italian mother of Loren’s character. Ann Margaret, such a driver of the first film, is under-utilized here. Daryl Hannah and Kevin Pollack still work nicely enough as supporting players. It really boils down to the dilemma of John and Max. Audiences would eat up their acid-tongued barbs, but there’s not enough of it because the story doesn’t really allow for it. I don’t know how else to explain it, but this film doesn’t give either of them enough meat to chew on to strike comedy gold.

In the end, this is still a serviceable film. The players all still have their sense of comedic timing, but the juice is a little stale this time. It’s nice to see Max get a little romance of his own, but the stakes don’t ever feel as high as in the original film. If you see the first one, no one can fault you for watching Grumpier Old Men, nor should they. It’s comfortable and familiar enough to enjoy, even if it won’t stand out much in hindsight.

FINAL RATING: 3 out of 5