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Fighting

EMAILPRINTRogue Pictures

Fighting reviews
61
4.0 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 22 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 20 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Drama

Written by: Dito Montiel
Robert Munich

Directed by: Dito Montiel

Release Date:
Theatrical: April 24, 2009
DVD: August 25, 2009

Running Time: 105 minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: PG-13 for intense fight sequences, a sex scene and brief strong language

Starring Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard, Brian White, Luis Guzman, and Zulay Henao

Small-town boy Shawn MacArthur has come to New York City with nothing. Barely earning a living selling counterfeit goods on the streets, his luck changes when scam artist Harvey Boarden sees that he has a natural talent for street-fighting. When Harvey offers Shawn help at making the real cash, the two form an uneasy partnership. (Rogue Pictures)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

88

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

Fighting has real grit and excellent acting. In other words, there is gold in that dirt.

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83

The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias

Fighting doesn’t break new ground so much as animate B-movie types, but New York movies this gritty and flavorful don't come along very often.

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75

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

I like the way the personalities are allowed to upstage the plot in Fighting, a routine three-act fight story that creates uncommonly interesting characters.

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75

Premiere Jordan Burchette

Fighting is a fun, frank and faithful homage to simple inner-city drama.

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75

New York Post Kyle Smith

Fighting arrives fully charged by the charisma of its star, Channing Tatum, who has landed the lead in the upcoming "G.I. Joe."

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75

San Francisco Chronicle Peter Hartlaub

In a genre where too many films are all brawn and no brain, Fighting is a contender.

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70

Los Angeles Times Michael Ordona

It's not "Raging Bull" or "Fight Club," but Fighting is populated by believable losers and lovingly adorned with just the right faces and peeling wallpaper to absorb you in Montiel's world.

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70

The New York Times A.O. Scott

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.

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70

The New Yorker David Denby

Yet, even if the movie is a fake as a fight picture, it's still a decent commercial entertainment.

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67

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

Howard's snappy-smooth performance, unsurprisingly, is what elevates Fighting from its hoary genre predecessors.

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60

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

As its defiantly bland title suggests, Fighting is a bare-bones effort that tries just hard enough to keep us watching. By making good use of its New York setting, Montiel does bring a certain indie grit to the generic story.

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60

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

In Channing Tatum, who also starred in "Saints," the film has a good-looking, magnetic hunk to draw a crowd. Terrence Howard lends the pedigree of great screen acting, and Zulay Henao adds charm and glamour.

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50

Variety John Anderson

For all the utter phoniness of Fighting -- the cockeyed, faux-verite shooting, the lurches in storytelling, the lack of character development, a contrived crisis between Shawn and his would-be girlfriend Zulay and Tatum's dopey-charming thing--Fighting's not so bad.

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50

Charlotte Observer Roger Moore

The director plays a visual game of three card monte on us for this silly, weakly acted and yet sometimes entertaining variation on the “Big Fight” movie formula.

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50

TV Guide Jeremy Wheeler

It's not as if Fighting is terrible. The acting is well done, as is the unique look at the underbelly of the Big Apple.

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50

Film Threat Pete Vonder Haar

Every so often you catch glimpses of a better movie behind the simplistic structure and formulaic plot.

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50

Chicago Reader Andrea Gronvall

Authentic locations and careful attention to detail help evoke several New York boroughs in all their gritty vitality, but the screenplay about a hunky street vendor turned underground fighter is sloppy and false.

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50

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey

Fighting is a crude love letter to seventies' New York cinema but set in the present.

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42

Entertainment Weekly Adam Markovitz

Murderously dull stretches of dialogue suck most of the fun out of this sloppy drama.

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40

Village Voice Scott Foundas

The movie never works up a pulpy head of steam. It's like an exploitation movie that thinks it's an art movie, only there's no art to be found.

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40

Washington Post Dan Kois

Fighting isn't very good, but it will make you hope that someday, some great director will give Tatum's pecs the star vehicle they deserve.

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38

USA Today Claudia Puig

Fighting seriously lacks punch.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 4.0 (out of 10) based on 20 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Tavo G gave it a1:
How is this movie getting halfway decent reviews? Worst movie I have seen since the last Indiana Jones movie.

Isaac H gave it a0:
Purely a terrible movie. Bad acting to go with the terrible script and dialogue. You never really understand the whole of what is going on and they never tell the back story for any of the characters even though a large chunk of the movie is based around Sean's past.

Jay H. gave it a6:
A likable performance by Channing Tatum is a plus, some good action sequences but unfortunately, the story is nothing new and the plot is paper thin. Terrence Howard offers good support. Not bad.

Nerijus D gave it a9:
Terrence Howard is acting perfectly. The film features some very good music as well.

Dave M gave it a1:
Best nap I've had in a long time. An insomniac's must see!

Winston L gave it a10:
This was one of the most intense movies I've seen...I loved it!

Jack gave it a0:
This movie was one of the worst films I've ever seen. And I've seen Wicker Man. I was physically ill after watching this terrible excuse for cinema.

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