What makes it different from others?

just watch it!

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

It's not uncommon for a movie sequel to do little to the formula that made its predecessor so financially (and hopefully critically) successful. The old "if it ain't broke don't fix it" method of filmmaking has been used in the Hangover, Home Alone, and Taken franchise to only modest success in terms of quality. However, in Grumpier Old Men, the sequel to the fine comedy Grumpy Old Men, handles the rehashed formula better than many film sequels do.While I'm getting to sound repetitive and out of descriptive words, this is largely because of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau's chemistry together on-screen. From the moment they appear, it's almost impossible to believe the men's friendship in real life wasn't lifelong and consisted largely of playful torment, vulgarity, and several boys nights out. Had the film been a sequel with few returning cast members (say Lemmon and Matthau were substituted by two other actors), this sequel would've likely been a somber affair to view.In a way, I'm thankful the town of Wabasha Minnesota hasn't really changed much since our last outing, with the exception of John Gustafson (Jack Lemon) marrying Ariel (Ann-Margret) from the original film. In the meantime, John's dad still lives off a diet of beer, cigarettes, and bacon and Max Goldman (Walter Matthau), John's cantankerous neighbor, still finds himself engaging in petty neighborhood battles with John about outwitting the other man. However, the big ordeal this time is not competing for a new neighbor's love but trying to save a local bait shop from becoming a "restaurante" for Italian cuisine. The restaurant is managed by Maria Ragetti (Sophia Loren), a gorgeous but uncompromisingly strict woman who catches the eye of Max even as him and Jack plan to foil the restaurant's forthcoming prosperity.Other events (aka subplots) occurring in Wabasha are the wedding between Max's son Jacob (Kevin Pollak) John's daughter Melanie (Daryl Hannah), a plot which would later be used by the same director Howard Deutch in The Odd Couple II, also starring Lemmon and Matthau, along with John trying to get his father (Burgess Meredith in his final role, which was burdened by spouts with Alzheimer's and difficultly remembering lines, some female company as he gets older. One of Grumpier Old Men's immediate issues is that there is simply too much going on between plot-strands that involve marriage/romance troubles (I counted four including John's brief trouble with Ariel later in the movie) ad others that involve trying to sabotage the bait-shop-turned-restaurant.Grumpier Old Men may have too many new ideas for cutesy subplots, but it keeps the tone and feel of its predecessor alive and well. It still feels like Wabasha is the location of a sitcom with its oddball situations that seem to consistently bear hefty consequences for its residents, but its characters still feel like real people we've come to known and care about.Unsurprisingly, Lemmon and Matthau share unbelievable conversational beauty in the way they engage in simple discussions that seem to constantly end in uproariously funny bickering. Once you minimize your focus on that aspect in the film, you have just an average comedy that, while charming and pleasantly safe (a good and bad quality for this particular kind of picture), is just grateful to be buoyed by two very talented leading men.Starring: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret, Kevin Pollak, Daryl Hannah, Sophia Loren, and Burgess Meredith. Directed by: Howard Deutch.

This film has some of the funniest lines and it's a great comedy. One would probably think, even I, thought that this would probably happen between two older men who fight about the obvious: women, fish and each other. Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon are a perfect pair. Even though it's a comedy, the romance in it is on the clean side. Nothing too distasteful and the comic relief is still included into the romance, which gives it a continuous comic flow. Even though there is a serious part of the film where John's father passes away, after that scene the film is back to the comic feel, which is nice because there's no dwelling on the sad/serious scene. Nonetheless, this movie is guaranteed to make you laugh hard.

While Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau were an excellent team, they bombed in this film but good.What's so grumpy about Lemmon in this film? The prequel was much better.Ann Guilbert, as Sophia Loren's mother, is given little to do. Remember her as the grandmother to "The Nanny?" Sophia Loren, other than marrying Matthau, is also give nothing to do. Ditto for Ann-Margret, Darryl Hannah and Kevin Pollak, all of whom were so good in the original but are reduced to practically nothing here.I also resent Matthau, who shows off his part-Jewish heritage marrying in a church at the end. I found this to be offensive. Sorry, but that's the way I am-old fashioned. To all those criticize me for the last statement, how would you have felt if the Matthau-Loren nuptials had taken place in a synagogue? While I realize that this was a comedy, this still left me with a bad taste in my mouth. A non-religious setting would have been the only solution to this.

This movie just happens to be yet another installment of an endearingly hilarious story. The chemistry between Messrs Matthau and Lemmon has been obvious since their earlier days in "The Odd Couple" and seems to have gotten even better as the years ensued. The acting is superb, the direction impeccable, the entire cast is phenomenal and with the addition of "Maria" and her mom it simply completes the entire storyline to make for one whale of a good time. The innate beauty of both Ms. Margret and Ms. Loren is timeless. Burgess Meredith's role has been stepped-up from his previous one, as the cynical, openly opinionated, Lothario wannabe, lol, a resounding achievement for a gentleman of his longevity, yet he pulls it off famously. There is some really hilarious banter between him and Maria's mother "Mama Ragetti", I laughed out loud. I must confess, I laughed out loud at so many of the scenes in this film, I can't even begin count them. There is a real synergy to this movie, a compilation of comedic moments. I can't imagine how anyone wouldn't enjoy this movie. I'm "hooked"...