6/10
Who would have ever guessed that it's the same place?
3 June 2006
For the most part, "Grumpier Old Men" is pretty silly. Max Goldman (Walter Matthau) and John Gustafson (Jack Lemmon) are still at each other's throats when Italian immigrant Maria Ragetti (Sophia Loren) arrives in town and throws everything into flux. What actually struck me most about the movie was how different the town looked in this one from the original. Obviously, it was a different time of year, but maybe the different look was meant to show how everything might be changing in the town.

Other than that, Ann-Margret returns as Ariel, and she's still as free-spirited and vivacious as she was in the original. Burgess Meredith - in his final role - is still the grandfather who can exercise absolute authority over the youngsters, although he now has the hots for Maria's mother (Ann Morgan Guilbert, aka Millie on "The Dick Van Dyke Show"). Kevin Pollak and Daryl Hannah also reprise their roles from the original...ah, and there's that fish.

All in all, a fairly interesting movie. Not any kind of masterpiece, but it showed that Lemmon and Matthau still had it.
4 out of 7 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed