Today’s Prayer Focus

Fighting

MPA Rating: PG-13-Rating (MPA) for intense fight sequences, a sex scene and brief strong language.
Moral Rating: not reviewed
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Teens Adults
Genre: Action Drama
Length: 1 hr. 45 min.
Year of Release: 2009
USA Release: April 24, 2009 (wide—2,100 theaters)
DVD: August 25, 2009
Featuring
Channing Tatum
Terrence Howard
Luis Guzmán (Luis Guzman)
Zulay Henao
Michael Rivera
Flaco Navaja
Peter Tambakis
See all »
Director
Dito Montiel
Producer
Misher Films, Relativity Media, Rogue Pictures, Lisa Bruce, Kevin Misher, Andrew Rona, Kim Surowicz
Distributor

“Some dreams are worth the fight.”

The story starts in present day New York City, where Shawn MacArthur (Channing Tatum) is a street hustler. One day while selling counterfeit goods at the corner of Radio City Music Hall, a group of young men attempt to force Shawn to relocate with his merchandise. These boys work for Harvey Boarden (Terrence Howard), a ticket scalper who controls the corner. Shawn fights them off, but does not retain his money or products.

Later, Shawn sees Harvey and the men who stole his money in a cafe and confronts them. Harvey gives him his money back and offers him a chance to a 'winner takes all' fight for money. Harvey sets up a meeting with his friend and rival, Martinez (Luis Guzmán).

Shawn's first fight is at a Brooklyn church against a Russian. He wins when he knocks the Russian into a water fountain. Harvey takes Shawn to a club where he meets a waitress named Zulay (Zulay Henao), a single mother to whom Shawn had earlier tried to sell a fake Chinese Harry Potter book. In the VIP area to the club, Shawn also meets Evan Hailey (Brian White), a professional fighter who used to be on the same college team as Shawn, and was coached by Shawn's father.

Shawn and Harvey leave after Evan and Shawn nearly get into a fight. Shawn's second fight is at the back of a store in the Bronx, against a much larger opponent. The fight descends into chaos after interference from some of Harvey's crew when the opponent nearly chokes Shawn, and the woman who owns the store pulls out a gun because one of the guys spills her drink. Harvey, Shawn, and the rest of Harvey's crew flee the scene and neither fighter gets paid. For his third fight, Shawn and the crew go to an Asian owned penthouse. Shawn wins the third fight.

Between fights, Shawn meets Zulay a few times, before they eventually have sex. Shawn and Zulay are visited by Harvey and Shawn is furious, suspecting Zulay and Harvey of having sexual relations. Harvey explains that Zulay places bets for him. Shawn and Harvey are offered a fight against Evan, and Shawn accepts, but Harvey wants him to throw the fight so that Martinez and his associates can make money.

Shawn agrees to throw the fight. Zulay places the bets, a total of $500,000. Shawn and Evan fight, with Zulay, Harvey, and the rest of the crew watching. Evan has Shawn in a choke hold and it appears that Shawn is about to throw the fight; however, he fights back and overpowers Evan. Shawn beats Evan and Martinez threatens Harvey. At Harvey's apartment, Shawn reveals Zulay reversed the bets and they have one million dollars. Zulay picks up Shawn and Harvey and they leave New York with Zulay's daughter and grandmother.

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Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Positive—Ever seen Rocky? Not just any Rocky movie. The original. Rocky. Remember how most of the film didn’t have a lot of fighting? ‘Twas a drama ‘bout a down on his luck fighter trying to make ends meet. Stinky apt, token manager, damsel in need of a knight. The whole shebang. Fast forward 33 years later. Sly Stallone’s wishful biopic reimagines itself. The reboot: “Fighting.”

The movie spends no time dawdling. You see Channing Tatum (the lead), and whoosh! He and Terrence Howard are best chums. You wanna make money? Yeah. Fight. Simple premise.

What I love about this flicka show is the uncanny level of realism. It doesn’t feel like a movie. Movies are polished. They’re supposed to clean up life’s lesser moments into a glamorous, fun-sized package that fits into a 2 hour window. Fighting takes the road less traveled. It mimics real life, all the awkward, goofy times included. No spiffy camera angles. No crazy transitions. No particle effects. No catchy tunes. Watch it. It’s not only apparent in the pacing and the diaglogue, but in the characters themselves as well as the extras. New Yorkers… bunch of street thugs ‘n thieves.

Unfortunately, for “Fighting,” the anti-movie feel kinda hurts its replay value. Without that polished coating, a movie is armed only with a story. The story behind this one is okay, but it’s like a dude hobbling around on crutches. Just ain’t 100%.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Keenum, age 22 (USA)
Movie Critics
…Bare knuckle street fighting films generally have a skull-thumping, brutal pointlessness about them that makes me wonder who would really want to see them. Or how they get funded in the first place. But those questions, though applicable, are the least of “Fighting”'s problems. …
Bob Hoose, PluggedIn
…“Fighting” is not a cinematic breakthrough. But it is much more involving than I thought it would be. The ads foreground the action, no doubt because that’s what sells. The film transcends the worldview that produced the ad campaign and gives audiences a well-crafted, touching experience. …
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
…Not everything that happens in “Fighting” entirely makes sense—it’s a fable, after all, and a fable doesn’t necessarily have to—but it breathes with a rough, exuberant realism that you rarely see in movies of its kind. …Not that “Fighting” is a great movie. It has no desire to be one—not an ounce of grandiosity or pretension or melodramatic overstatement. …
A.O. Scott, The New York Times
…Howard’s snappy-smooth performance, unsurprisingly, is what elevates “Fighting” from its hoary genre predecessors. …a sad-solid TKO. …
Marc Savlov, The Austine Chronicle
…an above average drama… but the movie contains some foul language and intense sometimes-brutal violence that merit extreme caution. …
Movieguide