Grumpier Old Men

A sequel that keeps two old neighbours quarrelling. Max and John still live next door to each other and still cannot stand each other. The feud is a habit by now; most of the day goes on trading insults and fishing at the lake. In this film a common enemy appears. The old bait shop in town is sold and an Italian restaurant is going in. For the two of them the place is more than a shop; they have been going there for years. Maria, who is opening the restaurant, is a determined woman with no interest in the town's habits. While Max is trying to stop her, something else happens. The second line is John's marriage and the preparations for the wedding; the narrative puts two women into the lives of two old men at once, and the humour comes from there. Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon lead; the pair appeared together in many films across their careers. Ann-Margret, Sophia Loren and Burgess Meredith are in the cast, and Meredith's old father is among the film's most-quoted characters. Howard Deutch directed. An enjoyable sequel for anyone who likes light comedy and the Matthau and Lemmon pairing. For a viewer expecting something new, it repeats the shape of the first film.