Date: Fri 05-Jan-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Illustration: C

Quick Words:

Grumpier-Old-Men-Playing

Full Text:

("Grumpier Old Men" for Now Playing, 1/5/96)

`Men' Wastes A Great Partnership

By Trey Paul Alexander III

Since its nationwide premiere on December 22, Grumpier Old Men has been one of

the most popular films in the country, defying conventional logic about the

public only wanting to see fresh-faced young'uns on the big screen, However,

upon viewing this film for myself, I am convinced everyone is paying the price

of admission just to watch the out-takes that are played over the closing

credits. If you have seen the first film, you know what I mean: it is hard to

erase the image of Burgess Meredith spouting off countless variations on

scatological epithets.

Besides the return of Meredith's off-color hijinks, all the other main cast

characters of Grumpy Old Men (Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret, Kevin

Pollak and Daryl Hannah) are back for this sequel, which is playing at the

Crown Cinema in Danbury.

Max (Matthau) and John (Lemmon), the Beavis & Butthead of Wabasha,

Minnesota's, geriatric set (or better yet, think of a crabby and foul-mouthed

Archie and Jughead in their golden years), resume the trading of sophomoric

insults that was begun in the preceding movie.

The gist of the first film had the two estranged buddies sparring for the

attentions of a newcomer in town, Ariel (Ann-Margret). John ultimately won out

and gained her hand in marriage at the film's climax, and his friendship with

Max was cemented as well. That war having been settled, a new battlefield is

established in Grumpier Old Men when the duo's beloved bait shop is taken over

by Ms Ragetti (Sophia Loren), an out-of-towner who wants to convert the local

tackle joint into an Italian restaurant.

Instead of fighting over a woman, this time they team up to battle a woman,

creating an all-out assault to get her to relinquish plans of turning their

favorite spot into a dining establishment. The plot also involves romantic

sparks that fly between Max and Ms Ragetti, and the impending nuptials between

Max's son (Pollak) and John's daughter (Hannah).

I was not a huge fan of Grumpy Old Men , which I felt wasted the chemistry of

Matthau and Lemmon on low-brow humor that could have been performed by just

about anyone. Only because it was these seasoned actors - along with a likable

cast - did the movie get mileage out of its mediocre script. The same

sentiment goes for Grumpier Old Men .

This sequel, rated PG-13 for profanity, juvenile humor and sexual innuendo, is

basically a by-the-numbers comedy. Although it does have a few genuinely funny

moments, the film features very little imagination and is numbingly

predictable. Only in this type of movie can a lithe hour crisis be generated

by a quest for "Catfish Hunter" - not the Hall of Fame baseball pitcher, mind

you, but Wabasha's legendary, long sought-after catfish.