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Fantastic!

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

I have to ask how do you get a job like Ryan O'Neal had. Imagine a promising fighter who injures his hand and doesn't box for four years. But he and trainer Whitman Mayo live on the arm and just show up and hang out at a gym for with all their living expenses paid and are on salary. It's all because perfume tycoon Barbra Streisand is using this as one of many tax dodges set up by her manager.But said manager has up and fled the country taking his clients assets except for O'Neal. So now O'Neal has to fight in earnest because Barbra is broke and the gravy train is over. Barbra having nothing else to do becomes O'Neal's manager.Like that old line about 'Ginger Rogers running the Brooklyn Dodgers' from Hollywood Hotel that sums up the comedy in The Main Event which is what Streisand and O'Neal are striving for. She's just a fish out of water. But dare I say it because Barbra hates him, but her character shows a Trump like ability to garner free publicity. And ballyhoo is an integral part of boxing.Taking up where they left off from What's Up Doc, Streisand and O'Neal have a well meshed chemistry. Have to also give big kudos to James Gregory as the Mike Jacobs like fight promoter who knows box office when he sees it.Funniest scenes in the film are at O'Neal's training camp where Barbra is trying very hard to fit into this most masculine of worlds. Not an easy fit by any means.The Main Event is a fun film, the only comedy I can recall about boxing.

it is not impressive, interesting or remarkable. it is just a nice comedy who has in lead characters good actors far to give the role of their life. it is funny , with few crazy amusing scenes, almost fake but a not wrong choice for entertainment. so, not great expectations. in same measure, it has, in little measure, the flavor of old situation comedies and this fact saves the construction. a film like a childish game, it is inspired occasion to reflect to serious roles of Streisand and O Neal and to laugh at absurd parts. is it enough ? maybe not. but if you are disappointed, it is only your guilty. because The Main Event can be only funny. not serious, not important, only a childish game.

Unfortunately, this film suffers by comparison to "What's Up, Doc" which also starred Streisand and O'Neal. While it doesn't match the cleverness or zaniness of that film, it does move fast with enough clever lines and plot twists to keep us entertained. After "What's Up, Doc" and "The Owl and the Pussycat," this is the funniest straight comedy with Streisand.Streisand says on the DVD commentary that she hates boxing and the movie is really a metaphor for a woman trying to make it in a man's world. That seems about right. Actually Ryan O'Neil was a boxing fan, so there is some authenticity to the boxing, at least as much as the "Rocky" movies.William Mayo and Patti D'arbanville give nice support.Everybody seems to be having fun making the movie. Just sit back and enjoy.Incidentally, according to Barbara, it was the soundman who came up with the ending. It is quite a ridiculous ending, but it actually is a perfect ending.

1979's THE MAIN EVENT was a lame attempt to rekindle the chemistry that Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal created in WHAT'S UP, DOC?, in an attempt to make lightning strike twice at the box office. Well, the chemistry between the stars is still evident, but the story just does not do them justice this time. Streisand plays Hillary Kramer, a cosmetics tycoon who learns that her accountant as absconded with everything she owns and the only thing she has been left with is the contract of a washed-up ex-boxer (O'Neal). So to recoup her money, she makes him start boxing again and becomes his manager. Streisand works very hard to make her character likable but it is a struggle and O'Neal is just miscast as a boxer. He just doesn't look or act like a boxer. It's not boring, but both stars have been seen to better advantage. The best thing about this movie is the powerhouse theme song that Barbra sings over the closing credits. It is an absolute "Wow!"