Fighting is unmemorable. As an actor, Channing Tatum is
devoid of depth, and the script is unwilling to develop any aspect of
his character, Shawn MacArthur, that would make him interesting.
MacArthur once punched his coach/father during an argument and now none
of the other Fighting characters will let him live it down: “Why
are you trying to fight ME?” they ask whenever anything gets
heated.
The movie’s flat dullness fails to get a rise, save for the fight
scene where Tatum and his opponent slam each other’s heads against a
cold marble floor, making it difficult to not cringe and gasp as their
noggins smack like beanbags.
If the movie has one redeeming quality, it is the great New York
City locations. As many scenes take place in dingy grocers as they do
fancy-pants condos and clubs, portraying NYC as a place where the
gritty and the glam are not so far removed, and making the city more
dimensional than the film itself.
This article appears in Apr 30 – May 6, 2009.