GRUDGE MATCH

DECEMBER 25, 2013

Where has the time gone? 

Robert De Niro jumped on the big screen and captivated audiences when he starred in the 1976 feature film “Taxi”.  As Travis Bickle, De Niro showed his skill that began with the uncredited roles of General Scott’s driver in “Seven Days in May” and “Three Rooms in Manhattan” in 1964, 1965 respectively.  The breakout film for him was “The Godfather Part II”, where he played Vito Corleone.  The film was not as successful as the first, but it did well at the box office and completely opened the door for De Niro.  From the release of “Taxi”, Robert De Niro has been a staple on screen with his ability to encompass the roles he has chosen. 

Sylvester Stallone’s career was like a parallel universe to De Niro’s.  He did several films such as "The Lords of Flatbush" that did not do great at the box office but got him some recognition for his work.  In 1976, when Stallone ran the stairs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, he stamped his future in Hollywood.  This rags-to-riches story endeared the character of Rocky Balboa to audiences who could never get enough as the film series went on to become one of the largest in history.  Each release had amazing scripts, and in 2006 the last film, “Rocky Balboa”, brought the series full circle.

Now, closing in on a half century of movie releases good and bad for both actors, Hollywood brings them together once again but with a much better script than that of “Cop Land” in 1997.  Both have played boxers in the past in separate films, which their characters emulated with completely different personalities.  Having been disappointed in some of the actors' film choices along the way, I found myself drawn to each character that began with the no-frills storyline written by Tim Kelleher and Rodney Rothman.

RUSTY

12/25/13

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