The Odd Couple II ** (1998, Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon) – Classic Movie Review 1458

Director Howard Deutsch’s 1998 belated sequel to the 1968 classic would have been better years earlier, but it’s still a case of better late than never. After ten films teamed together, The Odd Couple II was the final feature film together of Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon.

Felix Ungar (Lemmon)’s daughter Hannah (Lisa Waltz) is getting married to Oscar Madison (Matthau)’s son Brucey (Jonathan Silverman), sparking endless bickering between the two grumpy old men, who’re forced reunite after 17 years apart and take a road trip to the wedding. Oscar and Felix meet again at Los Angeles International Airport and take a rental car to go to San Malina for the nuptials. Naturally, epic arguing and an epic series of problems occur along the road.

Alas, there are only a few new tunes to play on the old fiddle in a pretty moderate sequel that has laughs but comes over on the bland, unamusing and weary side. Walter Matthau still has the energy for it as Oscar, but Jack Lemmon seems just a little bit tired and jaded as Felix. In any case it’s not his fault. It’s good that original writer Neil Simon is back to write the sequel, and he’s provided a good basic setup got the movie.. But he has left Matthau and Lemmon often high and dry with a lethargically developed story and a supply of cracking one-liners that’s as tiny as it was huge in the original.

Nevertheless, there are just enough funny scenes, laughs, pleasure and fun to be gained from it to make it worth seeing, and, of course, no fan of Lemmon and Matthau will want to miss it.

Christine Baranski, Barnard Hughes, Jay O. Sanders and Jean Smart co-star.

Deutch directed Matthau and Lemmon three years earlier in Grumpier Old Men (1995), a sequel to Grumpy Old Men(1993).

Matthau died on July 1 2000, aged 79,  and Lemmon died on June 27 2001, aged 76. They are very sorely missed.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1458

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