How to Watch: “Fighting”

Step 1: If you need an actor to look good in an underground street fight, hire Channing Tatum.

Step 2: If you need an actor to provide some SERIOUS eye candy, also hire Channing Tatum.

Step 3: Once you’ve got the boy, watch how he plays Shawn MacArthur, a transplanted Southerner just barely making ends meet in New York City. Then he meets Harvey (Terrence Howard), a street hustler who sees some potential in Shawn’s natural fisticuff abilities. One successful underground street fight later, Shawn and Harvey join the circuit – and begin a beautiful relationship.

Step 4: Start to wonder what is happening to Terrence Howard. He seems to be turning in the same performance over and over. And this time, as Harvey, he adopts some sort of high-pitched cadence to his voice. Very annoying.

Step 5: Refer to Step 2. Tatum looks goooood . He does, actually, have some natural talent as an actor – there is an ease about him in front of the cameras. But wow, he is ridiculously gorgeous. You get a little tingly watching Shawn woo a cocktail waitress (Zulay Henao) AND smooth things over with her overprotective Spanish grandmother. Would have been nice to see him dance again, but it’s OK. Settle for the Fight Club action instead.

Step 6: Realize you miss Fight Club. Somehow watching two dudes beat the hell out of one another just makes you pine for Brad Pitt and Edward Norton beating the hell out of one another. First-time director Dino Montiel does a pretty good job handling the street fights, but Fighting still falls into a predictable melting pot.

Level of difficulty watching Fighting: Moderate; action scenes are exciting but the film is too pat for my tastes.
Level of difficulty watching Channing Tatum: Extraordinarily easy.