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Grumpy as they wanna be

Although making a movie sequel may seem like a simple task, it can turn out to be quite difficult. The key is to maintain certain aspects that made the original film popular, while adding new elements that prevent the sequel from becoming a complete carbon copy.

Howard Deutch's "Grumpier Old Men" successfully achieves this balance in creating a highly entertaining follow-up to the enormously popular 1993 film "Grumpy Old Men."

"Grumpier" begins 6 months after the original, with a new twist -- Max Goldman (Walter Matthau) and John Gustavson (Jack Lemmon) are friends; this is enhanced by the upcoming marriage of their children, Jacob (Kevin Pollak) and Melanie (Daryl Hannah). Moreover, they work together in trying to stop the new woman in town, Maria (Sophia Loren), from turning their beloved fishing supply store, Chuck's Bait Shop, into an Italian restaurant.

However, Max and John resume their bickering after their children call off the wedding. In addition to battling each other, John is forced to readjust to married life with his bride of six months, Ariel (Ann-Margret), while Max struggles with his new love, Maria.

Like "Grumpy Old Men," the strength of this film comes from its two stars, the original odd couple -- Lemmon and Matthau. The two stars, who have appeared in six movies together, still have that wonderful chemistry. Even when they are fighting, the viewer can sense that, underneath all the bickering, the characters truly care about each other. Yet, when they are friends, they still continue the vicious verbal assaults on each other, thus maintaining the most entertaining aspect of the original film.

The new key addition to the sequel is the elegant Sophia Loren. With her beauty and charm, Loren's Maria sweeps the town of Wabasha off of its feet. Not even her fiercest rival, Max, can resist her allure. The new character, along with the marriage of John and Ariel, removes the possibility of the men competing for the same woman, which was the central conflict of the first film.

Returning from "Grumpy Old Men" are supporting players Ann-Margret, Daryl Hannah, Kevin Pollak, and Burgess Merideth. Margret's Ariel, the worst character in the movie, lacks any of the vigor that made her so attractive in the original; Ariel is transformed into a stereotypical nagging wife, whose purpose in the film is to ruin her husband's fun.

Although not well-developed, Jacob and Melanie (Pollak and Hannah) are significant characters; they allow the true nature of the relationship between John and Max to be displayed. The fact that John loves Jacob as if he were his own son, and Max loves Melanie as if she were his own daughter, is proof that the two men do care about each other, even if they are fighting.

Finally, Merideth is once again hilarious as John's ancient, crusty father. He serves purely as entertainment, especially when giving his son unconventional advice. His bitter voice and crude language make him a perfect fit for the role of a grumpy old man's father.

The overall tone of the movie is nearly identical to its predecessor. Watching two cantankerous old men battle like eight-year-olds just makes us laugh. Granted, the use of nasty language and practical jokes is rather juvenile, but that is the beauty of the film.