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Fighting (2009)

Time Out rating

Average user rating

14 reviews

Synopsis

A veteran scam-artist introduces a young counterfeiter to the world of underground brawling after he spots his raw talent in a street-fight. Stars Terrence Howard as the seasoned scoundrel. From the director of 'A Guide to Recognising Your Saints'

Movie review

From Time Out London

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. The set-up’s bog standard: brawny Southerner Channing Tatum is barely scraping by on the streets of Manhattan, so two-bit hustler Terrence Howard ushers him into the world of no-holds-barred street fighting, arranged for the delectation of big-betting high-rollers.

Facing opponents twice his size, Tatum needs all his determination to emerge intact, but with waitress Zulay Henao supplying the love-of-a-good-woman, well… need I go on? Still, if the movie has the body of a Jean-Claude Van Damme flick, it has the soul of, say, ‘Midnight Cowboy’, as if director Dito Montiel simply ignored the formula outline and filled in the margins with as much heart as the circumstances allowed.

Let’s be clear, this doesn’t make ‘Fighting’ anything approaching quality. But never mind the story, check the feel, as the camera seeks out scuzzy corners of New York, Tatum generates genuine sweetness in the romantic clinches and Howard plays his doomed small-time fixer as an exercise in bipolar melancholy. Meanwhile Henao’s Cuban granny Altagracia Guzman is a treasure and Roger Guenveur Smith provides Mr Big weirdness on a Walkenesque scale. A bit disappointing then to get back to chaps thumping each other, but the choreography’s decent enough. And if this lands idiosyncratic director Montiel a better script next time, it will all have been worth it.

Author: Trevor Johnston

Time Out London Issue 2021 May 14-20, 2008

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User reviews of this film

APFK - UK said...

Posted on Oct 28 2009 23:52 Rarely do I review a film, and usually if I do it's to warn others not to waste their time and money on such dross as “Fighting”
In fairness I didn’t even watch the film to whatever climax this was undoubtedly building up to… this was due to the appalling acting from the main cast, did Terrence Howard take “Un-Acting” lessons, he was awful, mono-tonal and the whole “Oh I’m mad at you” and 30 seconds later “Hey we can still be friends y’know” shtick, you could only tell he was angry because it said so in the God awful script!
As for Channing Tatum… Nuff said!
There didn’t appear to be any training montages or build up as to where he got his fighting skills from, (such as they were, like he wins by shear luck, and not because he’s the better fighter, I’m referencing from the only 2.5 fights I could bear to stick with the film long enough to watch) other than some references from another character who seems to know the main characters father, who hadn’t even appeared in the film; R.E.not seen the end, so who knows, may have shown up!
It took my 3rd attempt at trying to convince myself that this might, just might get better, but I knew I was only kidding myself in the end, so gave up about halfway through the dross, I mean film!
I hope you all do better than I did!

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Justin Berkovi said...

Posted on Sep 16 2009 13:44 Disappointing film. Music very obvious, Howard was irritating. ugh. Rubbish.

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Keyspike said...

Posted on Sep 02 2009 08:57 I loved it. You could see through the plot, but it didn't matter. The acting was great and the fight scenes were a blast!

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Beckii said...

Posted on Jun 11 2009 09:12 Eyyyyy? I went to see this film last week & I thought it was brilliant..Of corse it has a story line..hes poor and then he fights and then he's righ..and he gets the girl and the mates along the way. the fights were good..especially the one he had with that Hayleyy guy and as for "better fights in corrie" HAHAHA..
well anyway i thought this film was really good and lots of the actors in it played their parts Great!!

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abs said...

Posted on Jun 01 2009 23:30 avoid like the plague, very boring, dont waste your money

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BL said...

Posted on May 26 2009 13:27 weee where goin to go and watch it . buttt reading these qotes am defooo nt now :/ x

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ash said...

Posted on May 25 2009 20:55 not a good film> fights scenes are crap, no story line, i fell asleep in the cinema

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james said...

Posted on May 25 2009 15:12 the worst film i have ever seen ever ever ever!!!!!!!

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Dannika said...

Posted on May 25 2009 11:41 <3 Channing. Hes A Fitty :)

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WG said...

Posted on May 24 2009 16:31 worst film ive seen in a long while, there didnt seem to be a storyline at all and i was thoroughly bored after half an hour

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shany said...

Posted on May 21 2009 09:46 one of the worst films iv ever seen there only 4 fights in it which you cant really see due to the camera angles absolutely shit!!!
P.S. Birds not too bad tho

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mamiee said...

Posted on May 20 2009 13:39 im going to see it tonight hope i like it but am really only going to see it because channing tatum is a actual babe :) anyways hope i enjoy the film :D
xxx

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usman khawaja said...

Posted on May 15 2009 18:48 its true the script and direction are lazy but tatum is showcased as a fighter and the manhattan locales look good and couple of the bare knuckled interraciial brawls are thrilling -it was tolerable though not good-
brian white and tatum had some interesting banter and the chinese freestyle fight was harrowing -
how come tatum slept over in central park on a bench and woke up freshly shaven like a gillette ad. ,once a model always a model

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ARCHGATE said...

Posted on May 13 2009 20:45 Fighting, my butt.
I seen better fight sequences in Coronation Street.
This is a blatant rip off from a '70's film called Hard Times starring Charles Bronson. Tatum has a certain presence about him but he is let down by a weak, cliched script and a very poor performance from Howard, who is normlly very good.

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