Fighting

Fighting is like cotton candy. It doesn't have any depth, soul or body. Sadly, it’s not even a good flavor of cotton candy. It’s pomegranate cotton candy.

Channing Tatum and his Abs of Steel star as Shawn – a college boy roaming the mean streets of New York City, trying to make a living selling counterfeit and stolen merchandise (but it feels like the 1970’s New York City not the fabulous NYC we know from Gossip Girl). One day, a local gang of kids try to rob him, and Shawn shows he has some fighting skills when the fisticuffs start to fly. Of course, this attracts the attention of the gang’s leader, Harvey (Terrence Howard), who thinks Shawn might be able to make some money for the both of them by facing off with other brutal brawlers on the underground fighting circuit.

Does Shawn have what it takes?

Does Harvey have Shawn’s best interest at heart?

As long as guys want to see other guys pummel each other to a pulp, we will have movies like Fighting, which is why we have had movies like Never Back Down, Rocky, Fight Club, Rocky II, Karate Kid, Rocky III, Redbelt, Rocky IV, and so many more (like Rocky V). Sadly, Fighting doesn’t try break new ground, challenge the actors or surprise the audience. Right up through the typical, ridiculously overblown, last minute conflict that could tear everyone apart and makes all of the main characters question their faith in each other, Fighting is a paint-by-numbers film that is predictable and tired.

Even worse, Fighting doesn’t try to get anywhere close to believable and doesn’t deliver what ticket buyers want. Shawn is a fighter who always faces off against guys who look like they should be in a Jackie Chan movie or in the WWE, and he never appears to train and never appears to practice. How can he win?

Plus, Shawn doesn’t fight that often. Most of the movie is Howard and Tatum mumbling lines at each other as the two characters are supposed to bond and understand how each ended up at this place and time.

Then, the ladies in the crowd will be demanding a refund when it takes far too long for Tatum to show off those aforementioned Abs of Steel. Every woman I speak to who knows Tatum and his Abs of Steel express that their only reason to see this movie is to watch him rip off his shirt, and you don’t want to disappoint the ladies (if the projectionist interrupts the trailers, inserts a clip of him ripping off his shirt, then goes back to the trailers, that will make the ladies happy). Without alot of fight scenes, guys will be disappointed, and, without alot of Abs of Steel, the ladies will be VERY disappointed.

Neither Howard nor Tatum will be putting this movie high on their resume, but there is so much more wrong with it than their performances, they will escape unharmed and with healthy paychecks that made it worth the shame.

Fighting is rated PG-13 for intense fight sequences, a sex scene and brief strong language.