There’s something interesting in this film and that’s the reality it brings to its subject matter. Scenes seem real. And that’s a lot to do with the performances. They’re all terrific. But there’s the reality of New York too, there’s grit here.
Fighting (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:117
Fresh:48
Rotten:69
Average Rating:5/10
Consensus: Though Fighting has a likable lead performer, and the fight scenes are impressive, the paper-thin plot ultimately unravels.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Aug 27, 2009 Wide
US Box Office: $23,036,320
Synopsis: In director Dito Montiel’s 2009 drama, FIGHTING, Channing Tatum (G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA) portrays Shawn, a young man from the South trying to make a living on the streets of New York City.... In director Dito Montiel’s 2009 drama, FIGHTING, Channing Tatum (G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA) portrays Shawn, a young man from the South trying to make a living on the streets of New York City. When Shawn gets into an altercation while selling bootleg CDs and DVDs, a con man (Terrence Howard) who witnesses the brawl takes him under his wing and introduces Shawn to NYC’s underground street-fighting circuit. In these bare-knuckle battles, Shawn has a chance to win significant money--and also the heart of the beautiful Zulay (Zulay Henao). A film that goes beyond its deceptively simple title and premise, FIGHTING is elevated by the keen eye of Montiel, who also co-wrote the script with Robert Munic, and the charismatic presence of Tatum, who previously had a minor role in the writer-director’s cinematic debut, A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS. Although the film goes through the standard up-by-the-bootstraps dramatic cycle, the performances of Tatum, Howard, and Henao make the story surprisingly compelling, and the fight sequences are exceptionally fierce, giving the movie considerable added zest. Though less high-profile than combat classics such as ROCKY and THE KARATE KID, FIGHTING fits well into the category of revered movies of the boxing/martial-arts subgenre. [More]
Starring: Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard, Zulay Henao, Brian White
Starring: Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard, Zulay Henao, Brian White, Luis Guzmán
Director: Dito Montiel
Director: Dito Montiel
Screenwriter: Dito Montiel, Robert Munic
Producer: Kevin Misher
Composer: David Wittman, Jonathan Elias
Studio: Universal Pictures
Reviews for Fighting
Despite the formulaic script and cringe worthy moments, the performances from the leads and creation of the subculture are well executed by director Montiel.
Entertaining and engaging, Fighting has action, romance and a buddy element in a tight, professional package
Fighting consistently feels like a patchwork of better movies without their excitement or rooting interest in character.
Montiel and his collaborators can pat themselves on the back for elevating empty material just a bit, but this is disposable cinema, designed to hit and run after an opening weekend. [Blu-ray]
Fighting is a testosterone-driven movie full of blood, beautiful women, big muscles and enough plot to be a good movie.
All of this, however, is plainly just a veneer on a solidly generic punch-up movie, and it thus becomes a drag. A more cartoonish approach would probably have been more fun.
While everything is highly predictable, the film is well designed and bone-crushingly violent fights are ably staged in Brooklyn.
Quite how that will go down with his testosterone-fuelled, spotty audience, I have no idea.
The problem is that, even with some very strong acting, we're never quite convinced to believe either the relationships or situations.
The tell-it-as-it-is title hardly indicates anything out of the ordinary, but this bare-knuckle boxing flick is put together with more love than you’d expect.
Like a poor man's Fight Club, Fighting is hardly a heavyweight. But with an enjoyable performance from Terrence Howard, the film is no disaster.
There are no surprises here – this is a story that has been told before, many times. But Tatum gives us a glimpse of the charisma that could make him a star.
You couldn't call Fighting great - at its core it is simply too cruddy - but Montiel has managed to inject it with the smell and feel of the streets that he clearly once knew well.
Montiel’s film lands on its feet with a gripping, will-he-or-won’t-he third act – it’s worth the wait.
The film is lifted slightly by the performances of Howard and Tatum, even though the latter’s mumbling delivery is more Stallone than De Niro. But even Rocky’s narrative had a redemptive arc.
Fighting has nothing to say about men willing to pummel each other senseless. Montiel's second feature is a facile, unchallenging watch, floating like a butterfly but stinging a bit like one, too.
If you want to see a shirtless hunk knocking the shit out of fierce fighters, who better to do it than gorgeous hottie Channing Tatum.
Latest News for Fighting
April 23, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Fighting Is Down For The Count
This week at the movies, weve got bare-knuckle bouts (Fighting, starring Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard), the wonders of nature (Earth, narrated by James Earl Jones), a... More...
April 23, 2009:
Five Favorite Films with Terrence Howard
The Oscar-nominated actor Terrence Howard has amassed an impressive resume since making his Hollywood breakthrough in the 1995 drama Mr. Holland's Opus (he also starred in that... More...
April 23, 2009:
Box Office Guru Preview: Don't You Dare Mess with Beyoncé's Man
The environment needs saving so Hollywood is doing its part to go green by opening recycled versions of Fatal Attraction and Fight Club in hopes of attracting young adults. In a... More...
January 18, 2009:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
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