Channing Tatum stars as a down and out New Yorker looking to score big on something and meets scam artist Harvey Boarden played by Terrence Howard.
Film making 15/25
Video 18/25
Audio 18/25
Bonus Features 5/25
Total 56/100
Fighting is the uninspired film starring Channing Tatum as Shawn MacArthur and Terrence Howard as scam artist Harvey Boarden. Shawn is a homeless young man who left college after his coach father took on another fighter instead of Shawn to lead into a professional boxing career.
Shawn is selling counterfeit Harry Potter books and DVD’s on the streets when he is ripped off by Harvey’s crew but does meet the beautiful Zulay before they take his goods. Later when Shawn sees Harvey and some of his crew in a diner Shawn confronts him and Harvey gives him his money back and offers him to fight for money.
Shawn accepts so Harvey goes to his competitor to set up some fights and Shawn later finds out that Zulay is actually a member of Harvey’s crew. Shawn and Zulay end up together to the dismay of Harvey who does not want them to get romantic because it will break up his crew.
Harvey sees Shawn has potential and sets up more fights but the second one does not go well when one of Harvey’s crew interrupts the fight and winds up with no one getting paid. The third fight goes well for Shawn and nets him even more money so Harvey sets him up with another fight for a half a million dollars but it is against Shawn’s old rival from college.
Evan Hailey, played by Bryan White, was coached by Shawn’s father and ended up as a professional boxer so Shawn does have a grudge to settle. Harvey wants Shawn to throw the fight so they can make even more money than with Shawn winning but in the end Shawn wants to settle the question of who is better and wins.
Fighting is a decent story and would have been much better with a bit better performances from the actors and much better directing as it was very unemotional. The film went from one interesting scene to another but without anything for the viewer to get attached to or interested in.
Fighting is the kind of movie you can watch while doing something else and waiting for the fight scenes as they are the best part of the film. The film just does not grab the viewer with the character dialogue and make any statement beyond watch me I’m a new film.
The Blu-ray release of Fighting is a good technical film with well done audio and video for a nice viewing so there is some hope. The films transfer is very good with vibrant colors and nice shadows as well as good flesh tones for a great Blu-ray presentation.
The shaky cameras during the fight scenes as they act like a viewer are really good and adds to the underground nature of the fights. The video is another great Blu-ray release and the audio also steps up to the plate well with lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround Sound.
The audio has well done surround and you get to hear all those nice distant sounds of the streets of New York as rear fill while the dialogue comes out clearly from the front speakers. The audio sounds good except for the slightly louder fight scenes that add some punch to the films overall audio.
The additional content on the Blu-ray release is all but missing with only a deleted scene extra as well as the unrated and theatrical release with a digital copy. There are no other extras to Fighting so if you enjoyed the film you have the two versions and the digital copy to enjoy wherever you go.
Fighting is not really worth a purchase unless you really do enjoy it, it does have plenty of mixed reviews so you should probably rent it first. The film just does not deliver like it should in some way whether it’s the acting or direction but Fighting is worth at least a rental.
