The Main Event (1979)

Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

It's a cute movie but not really a classic, but then neither is "What's Up Doc?" in my book. Both are fun, silly comedies. There is a certain amount of "sexual tension" real or imagined between O'Neil and Streisand. Ryan plays "Kid Natural" Scanlon, a down-on-his-luck washed up small time boxer. Some brief (but not frontal) nudity and horseplay in the locker room scenes and Bab's exercise class. Otherwise, quite tame in spite of some of the situations, including a bedroom encounter. Some mildly salty language and a very annoying performance by Patti D'Arbanville as Ryan's crass and tough girlfriend with "smoker's cough" are my reasons for marking down this film to an "8". Is it realistic? No. A perfume company would not own a boxer's contract, even as a tax shelter. However, Ryan's boxing scenes have a look of authenticity to them and he doesn't appear to be using a stunt double. Of course nobody would "throw in the towel" on purpose during a boxing match to disqualify the winner for such a silly reason as "true love". That's what makes this both a comedy and a fantasy. Barbra is in the best shape of her life and looks absolutely fantastic. It's funny enough that you don't have to be a fan of hers to enjoy it, but it helps if you like professional boxing or wrestling. The only notable song is the title track sung by (who else?) Barbra; so it's not a musical. This little movie made tons of money at the box office and in rentals. Apparently, it has been forgotten about, over the years.

The real bout in this movie may be between Barbra Streisand's talent and Babs' ego. Can the often-inspiring light comedienne of "What's Up Doc" and "Funny Girl" overcome La Streisand's need to be the center of every scene?It's a reunion flick between Streisand and "Doc" co-star Ryan O'Neal. She's perfume magnate Hillary Kramer, undone by an embezzling accountant. He's Kid Natural, a former prize fighter who represents Hillary's one asset, if only she can get him in the ring. He'd rather stick to his new career as a driving instructor."Do you want my body on your head for the rest of your life?" he asks her.More than boxing, sex is the main event of the film, from the opening shots of Streisand working out in spandex leotards to the charged byplay between the stars. She teases her ex-husband with pelvic thrusts and dances around the ring with Kid in short-shorts and a halter top with no bra. This is distracting to some extent but helps arouse the movie's one undeniable asset: The chemistry between O'Neal and Streisand.For an actor made entirely of wood, O'Neal is surprisingly spry and able, taking pratfalls, playing shamelessly off his good looks, and trying to get out of the deal with Hillary by clenching his fists and telling her of his vow to "never again use these, these messengers of death." He lives in a giant glove by a freeway which advertises his driving instructions in neon. He proudly claims it an investment made with Hillary's money.For her part, Streisand is clearly the more dominant partner in a way she wasn't in "Doc". The movie starts and ends with a big close-up on her, and the boxing part of the story is shortchanged in order to keep her in the frame as much as possible. Howard Zieff directs this as a vanity project, since that's what it is, with soft lighting playing up her russet locks at every opportunity.But Streisand justifies the spotlight by playing to Hillary's weaknesses as much as her strengths. Hillary has no clue about boxing, but doesn't let that stop her. After the Kid is dinged up in one early match, she announces a new plan: "Better fights with nicer people".Another early scene of Kramer running her perfume business has her deliver a line that seems a playful nod at Streisand's own famously imperious rep: "I want you to go away to a very quiet place, let your brilliant and creative minds blossom with original ideas, and then bring me back exactly what I'm talking about." It might not be as funny delivered by someone else, but that's a benefit to having Barbra on the job.There's enough general funniness like that to overcome the defects of too much Barbra and an ending that literally throws in the towel rather than resolves the romantic tension between Hillary and Kid in a fun yet convincing manner. Also on the plus side, you have Whitman Mayo as Kid's cagey manager and one great theme song, a molten disco masterpiece which Barbra sings with all the relish of Shirley Bassey pouncing on "Goldfinger". I think it made the film such a success in 1979, more than the critical notices of the time which were horrible.So score this one talent over ego, if by points rather than knockout. "The Main Event" is no classic, but it's good enough to make me smile all these years later.

Exceptionally brassy, brawling comedy set mostly in the boxing ring. Barbra Streisand is a perfume executive with the #1 nose for business ("It's the kind of scent a man can give to a woman, a woman can give to a man, a man can give to a man, a woman can give to a woman, have I left anybody out?"). Unfortunately, she's been embezzled against and has lost all her finances, except the contract to a boxer who no longer boxes (he just spends her money). Streisand and Ryan O'Neal eke out some laughs from the groaning dialogue (a really bad joke regarding Patti D'Arbanville's threat to meddling Streisand is the most offensive). The plot coasts along on the amiable chemistry between the leads, though all they seem to do here is argue. It bottoms out in the final stretch, ending with an extremely weak climax which got boos from the theater audience I saw this with in 1979. Barbra looks pretty sexy though and--braless in T-shirts and showing lots o' leg in her short-shorts--don't think she doesn't want us to notice. *1/2 from ****

I echo the previous viewers comments. When released in 1979, THE MAIN EVENT was an immediate summer hit grossing $66 million in the US and $80 million around the world. The film was popular not only because it reunited the stars of the 1972 blockbuster WHAT'S UP, DOC?, but also because of it's light tone and old-fashioned fun.The story doesn't really matter, all you need to know is that the chemistry between the stars is fun and exciting and the screenplay gives them plenty of room to inhabit the screen. Streisand is as lovable as ever and O'Neal has rarely been more charming.As I said before: Good fun! 7/10.