Grumpy Old Men (1993) Reviews

• Review Of "Grumpy Old Men"

  compi242011-12-14

  "Grumpy Old Men" is a 1993 Donald Petrie film about two feuding old men (Lemmon, Matthau) who step up their game to woo their new neighbor (Ann-Margret). Let me start off by saying that I love both Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon and I have heard of how the two of them are often paired together on film. This is the first film I've seen with the both of them in it and I can tell why they were paired together here. The chemistry between Matthau and Lemmon is really noticeable throughout this film - they really love working with each other. Everyone else's performances were also very well done. The movie was also pretty funny overall, but what surprised me the most was that this film featured some very touching and heartwarming scenes within it. Honestly, I can say that this movie surprised me all together. I thought I was only going to get a 90 minute film of two old men swearing at each other. What I got was that, but with very great acting, subplot development, tonal diversity, and more. "Grumpy Old Men" is a film that I watched with a genuine smile on my face.

• A very fun and sweet film

  Smells_Like_Cheese2006-12-09

  I don't know why, but I recently had Grumpy Old Men stuck in my head, I saw it when I was 8 years old with my grandparents, but I figured that I should watch it again before I would comment on it, since your opinion changes when you grow up. So, I rented both Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men and I was excited to see a decent rating on IMDb, and I love Walter Matthau, so this was a film to look forward too. Well, I finished it this morning and I have to say that it had it's good laughs along with a very heart warming story for the holidays. John and Max are two former friends turned enemies and have been feuding for a long time, we don't really know why at the beginning of the film. When they see a new neighbor moving in on the street, a very attractive older woman named Ariel. Now the boys have something new to fight over and are competing for her love. But it almost drives them crazy how much they keep playing tricks on each other and can they realize that it's finally time to grow up and act their ages or will they stay as grumpy old men? This was a very charming and lovely movie that could melt anyone's heart and make them laugh at the same time. I really do miss the comedies like this since a lot of films are more aimed for a younger generation, I may be 21, but I need the grown up comedies just as well as the one's for today, we need a balance, you know? But I would highly recommend Grumpy Old Men for a little laugh and a good film to watch for an afternoon. 7/10

• A family reunion

  annmason12005-08-01

  It is sad to watch this wonderful film and realize that most of the actors in it are dead. Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Burgess Meredith, Ozzie Davis...all fine men whose loss to movie goers is felt- at least by this one. Ann-Margret, Darryl Hannah, Kevin Pollak, while still among us, are also perfect for their parts. Every time I watch "Grumpy Old Men" I sense the camaraderie and fun the cast and crew must have had in making it. It is a family reunion, and the audience is the more fortunate for being invited. Thank you all for braving the Minnesota winter to remind us of snow angels and tea tree oil; of old friends and Thanksgivings shared; of warmth in the deepest cold.

• The Actors are Mortal, The Comedy Eternal

  xflrocks2002-07-14

  The opening credits in this film roll to the tune of "Heat Wave", and it was during a recent heat wave that I dusted off my well-worn copy of "Grumpy Old Men" and settled in to once again watch the first of four movies that made up the "second coming" of the Jack Lemmon/Walter Matthau team. To those who have not yet seen the movie, (yes, there may be a few) it was set (and filmed) in snowy Minnesota, which give the film an authentic small town feel that the talented set designers of Hollywood would be hard pressed to duplicate. From the stars' first lines in the film ("'Morning ****head", "Hello moron") we know what to expect, and the movie doesn't disappoint us. The verbal sparring between Max and John continues non-stop through 100+ laugh filled minutes. Both the plot and the ending are not quite believable, but who really cares? For those who want reality, there are many depressing films out there, not to mention the news- papers and CNN. I have never read if all the cast members were the first choices for the parts, but every one of the cast fits their roles perfectly. Ann-Margret has evolved from her dancing, grinding "sexpot" image in the 60's to a wonderful, natural actress. Burgess Meredith....what can I say? He's perfect as John's father, a crusty, lovable old man. The interplay between Jack and Burgess is so easy, and why not? Who better to play a 94 year old than the 80+ year old Meredith. While Burgess is lovable, Daryl Hannah is lovely. As John's daughter Melanie, I have never seen her look more beautiful and heart-melting as she does in this picture. Ozzie Davis, Kevin Pollak, and Buck Henry round out the cast, and bring their many talents to the picture. While much has been written about the comedy, very little is said about the realistic side of "Grumpy Old Men". There are a few fleeting scenes that reveal the heartache and loneliness of growing old. And John's dealings with the I.R.S. in the movie, while hilarious, points out what can happen when the machine-like IRS process starts to roll over an individual not caring about the human-real life side of the situation. The only "downer" for me in again watching this movie is the knowlege that the string is over. Walter and Jack and Burgess are gone. I can't watch this movie without feeling just a tinge of sorrow. When most actors their age pass on, we feel sorrow, and then watch their classics from decades ago. With Walter and Jack the best was yet to come. I have read elsewhere that scripts were in the works for "Grumpy Old Men 3" and "Odd Couple 3". Who knows how many more successful films this brilliant team could have made together. I doubt if the formula for their success would have grown stale, because both Walter and Jack no longer acted....their roles where just an extension of themselves. Whether it be Grumpy or Grumpier Old Men, "Odd Couple II", or "Out to Sea" we were as much visiting with old friends as we were watching a movie. Old friends get more endearing with age, and we would have never tired of new visits from them, no matter what the role. Burgess, Jack, and Walter.....wherever you are...thanks for the laughs you've given us over the years. You made us feel good, which is the best epitaph anyone could wish for.

• What a great situation, and great acting, in a fast little farce.

  secondtake2010-08-31

  Grumpy Old Men (1993) The set-up is so funny, and it's so great to see Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau at it again, you have to laugh even though the jokes are often more silly than funny. It's a feel-good drama despite all the hysterics. Maybe the best moments are Burgess Meredith as Lemmon's father, delivering crude old man lines with enough raw disregard for everything to sink a ship. "Did you mounter her?" he asks his elderly son. Obviously a hit enough to lead to "Grumpier Old Men" two years later, also funny but less fresh. And check out the Meredith outtakes on YouTube--just type his name and look for the "Grumpier Old Men" clip.