Stallone, De Niro knocked out by supporting cast in ‘Grudge Match’

Most actors fight being pigeonholed. Sylvester Stallone punched his way into being typecast and isn’t rushing to abandon his perch. In the last 37 years, he’s portrayed boxer Rocky Balboa six times, and what does he do in the meantime?

He stars in “Grudge Match” as Henry “Razor” Sharp, a former light heavyweight champ.

Razor inexplicably fled the sport in his heyday, avoiding a tiebreaking fight with rival Billy “The Kid” McDonnen (Robert De Niro).

The 67-year-old Stallone has still got it — when it comes to action. Razor is lured out of retirement for the bout he evaded three decades earlier, and the requisite training scenes are nearly as exhilarating as they were in 1976.

Stallone’s acting, however, is a little rusty. With his garbled delivery, he never was a paragon of emotional depth, but now his frozen face only exacerbates his shortcomings when the comedic drama turns serious.

Luckily, a strong supporting cast makes up for the protagonists’ lack of chemistry. The brilliant duo of Kevin Hart and Alan Arkin steal the show as the fight organizer and Razor’s dirty-old-man trainer, respectively. Meanwhile, Jon Bernthal (“Mob City”) steps up to remind viewers how dramatic acting should look, playing the Kid’s estranged son.

As it is, Razor is the more likable of the two boxers, but there’s an inverse correlation between each scene’s potential for enjoyment and the number of lines Stallone has to say. For example, nearly wordless sight gags involving the pair fighting while wearing green unitards and a sky diving adventure gone awry garner laughs. Less effective is a romantic subplot between Razor and a former girlfriend played by Kim Basinger.

While this season has featured a wealth of great dramatic movies, everyone needs a break from the seriousness every now and then. “Grudge Match” serves that function.