The Main Event is a good example of a film that was a very successful blockbuster on initial release making loads of money but that nowadays has almost been completely forgotten. I can only surmise that this is because (a) it's a film very much of its time and (b) despite being popular it probably wasn't actually that good. It's about a successful perfume executive who is left penniless when her business partner disappears with all her money. All she has left is a contract with a has-been boxer who has been living in a giant boxing glove house, living off her cash hand-outs. She makes him get back in the ring to try to earn her back some money but, as is the way, romance follows
After Rocky went supernova at the box office in 1976, boxing films were in fashion in the later part of the decade. I guess that partially explains the plot of this one. It may also explain somewhat why the storyline is pretty lame, as the whole boxing plot-line feels strangely negligible like they have basically shoe-horned it in because it was popular at the time. This means that for a sports movie it really is very hard getting involved in the action. It's very difficult to really care about who wins, etc. The main event, as it were, really is the re-uniting of Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal for the first time since What's Up Doc? It has to be said though that this pales pretty significantly in comparison to that film. While it does adopt a similar silly tone, it doesn't have as good a plot, characters or script; while director Howard Zieff is no Peter Bogdanovich. And it may be superficial to say but the fashions and hairstyles of 1979 were fairly atrocious compared to 1972 – compare how Streisand looks in both films if you need proof. Those big perms sure were popular in the disco age for some reason that's for sure! Anyway, the film itself is entertaining enough, despite being pretty underwhelming. Streisand and O'Neal are always good to watch and they try to make the most of what they've got, even if it isn't really a lot. It all winds up with an ending that is quite poorly thought out, although the film has been so silly beforehand that it doesn't really damage it as much as it should.
After Rocky went supernova at the box office in 1976, boxing films were in fashion in the later part of the decade. I guess that partially explains the plot of this one. It may also explain somewhat why the storyline is pretty lame, as the whole boxing plot-line feels strangely negligible like they have basically shoe-horned it in because it was popular at the time. This means that for a sports movie it really is very hard getting involved in the action. It's very difficult to really care about who wins, etc. The main event, as it were, really is the re-uniting of Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal for the first time since What's Up Doc? It has to be said though that this pales pretty significantly in comparison to that film. While it does adopt a similar silly tone, it doesn't have as good a plot, characters or script; while director Howard Zieff is no Peter Bogdanovich. And it may be superficial to say but the fashions and hairstyles of 1979 were fairly atrocious compared to 1972 – compare how Streisand looks in both films if you need proof. Those big perms sure were popular in the disco age for some reason that's for sure! Anyway, the film itself is entertaining enough, despite being pretty underwhelming. Streisand and O'Neal are always good to watch and they try to make the most of what they've got, even if it isn't really a lot. It all winds up with an ending that is quite poorly thought out, although the film has been so silly beforehand that it doesn't really damage it as much as it should.