Review of Fighting (2014) by Tom O — 13 Mar 2010

Speaking on a very personal note, what made FIGHTING a film worth watching(as a matter of fact, I advise all of my RT friends against viewing this pathetic and very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very bad flick) was only the outstanding performance of Terrence Dashon Howard. Even though it is his fellow co-star, Channing Tatum who does all the repugnant street brawling, Howard makes him appear like a desultory amateur thespian who merely by happenstance was caught in this film and couldn't find time or the intelligence to run for the hills.

While facing his opponent at the start of a bare-knuckle rumble in the streets of New York City, Tatum's facial expression never changes. "Hell", I said to myself, "doesn't it somehow hurt when you get kicked in the face, or perhaps a lot lower?" Apparently not. Channing Tatum's only desire is to win the fight and to have the last kick. Oh, his visage revealed nothing to me of the things I am boldy suggesting here. What you read just now is purely a matter of intuition.

It said somewhere that there was a script, perhaps, but this flick didn't need one, for the offering is so hackneyed and downright stale a script might be an insult to a writer's acumen. Another possibility is that the script was thrown out by Tatum, but that may be a separate, and possibly confusing story.

Let me(although it opposes my best ability to make an informed decision)give a bit of a plot of this hideous movie.

A fellow arrives from the South in New York City with a box of iPods, a few Harry Potter books, and some DVDs but before he can peddle any of them he is in a street fight and Terrence Howard becomes his manager and Zulai Henao will soon be his beautiful girl friend. That's it. Someone was absurdly suggesting deeper levels of interpretations. Nah, that is absurd. There is nothing to interpret; absurd, absurd.

Now we come to Terrence Dashon Howard. He is now a big star. He was in IRON MAN and possibly makes a good wage. Whatever, Howard deserves it. Producers and directors with pictures of a bush-league nature should hire him because he has the innate ability to salvage Hollywood's reprobates from the scrap pile. Acting wasn't made for Howard. Howard was made for acting. He was born an actor. Just look at him. 90% of all actors either swagger or strut. Howard walks. You don't even see it. He can go from point A to point B without the slighest effort on a sound stage. Don't kid yourself. This is difficult for most actors. Not for Howard. When he speaks his face registers every needful emotion and peerlessly. He has class and carries it well.

Anyone who wants to become an actor should watch Terrence Dashon Howard in any flick he has made, even this utterly despicable offering.

A final caveat. Boxing fans totally repudiate this motion picture.