Grumpier Old Men

The more things change, the more they stay the same in Wabasha, Minnesota. The uncatchable fish named Catfish Hunter grows fatter. The wisecracks, zingers and put downs pile up like freshly raked leaves. And Grumpy Old Men become grumpier in the sequel that's "pure delight, a wonderfully warmhearted comedy" (David Sheehan, CBS-TV). Grabbing fishing rods and picking up where they left off, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau reel in another comedy winner as Grumpier Old Men. Ann-Margret, Daryl Hannah, Kevin Pollack and Burgess Meredith also return to the Land of 10,000 Lakes to reprise their roles. And Sophia Loren is the newcomer whose plan to turn the town's beloved bait shop into a ristorante sends the old boys into a tizzy. Be advised: a tizzy is very contagious. Get ready to laugh. And stay tuned for the outtakes, including "man-sized manicotti!"

The success of Grumpy Old Men made this 1995 sequel practically mandatory, and although it's not much more than a Grumpy retread, the same schtick is just as funny the second time around. Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau reunited as the Minnesota neighbors who make a hobby out of mutual aggravation, but while Lemmon's married (to Ann-Margret), this time it's Matthau who's looking for love. He finds it when Sophia Loren arrives to open an Italian ristorante on the site of Jack and Walter's favorite bait shop, but only after the grumpy guys have done their best to stop the ristorante from opening. The impending wedding of Kevin Pollak (as Matthau's son) and Daryl Hannah (as Lemmon's daughter) puts love in the air, so it's not too long before Matthau and Loren are singing "That's Amore." And Burgess Meredith (in one of his final screen roles) returns as Lemmon's saucy old father, who gets all the best lines and delivers them with lusty vigor. --Jeff Shannon