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[tab title="Movie Review"]
Fist Fight is the laziest and sloppiest “comedy” to come out of Hollywood in recent memory. Mean-spirited and brutal, the film simply kills any and every chance it has at successfully being funny thanks to the over-the-top violence it embraces as two unhinged teachers go at it on the final day of school.
Roosevelt High is not a kind place. The students are disturbed, spoiled, and (apparently) influence their teachers more than they do their peers. On the last day of school; however, the vibes are especially harsh. The seniors run wild as it is their “prank” day and everyone else – including the staff – just tries to stay alive. That’s the day this little Fist Fight begins and, to make matters worse, it is also the day when the school district is giving teachers their walking papers. It’s a lose-lose situation which is exactly what you get should you decide to watch this flick.
Principal Tyler (Dean Norris) isn’t taking any nonsense. And those that do dare to challenge his already hectic day will pay with their job. English teacher Andy Campbell (Charlie Day) is doing okay. He’s holding up in spite of the stress of the prank day, the worry about the job, and the fact that his wife is about to have their second baby. Ron Strickland's (Ice Cube), having already had one student confrontation, is just trying to get through the day with a video about the Civil War. Unfortunately, he can’t get the television to work and that's got him hopping mad.
When Campbell offers to help and steps into Strickland’s classroom, little does he know that it will lead to the epic after school beat down that is the basis for this flick. Full of stupid “man up” moments for Campbell and fire hydrant beatings for Strickland, Fist Fight spins its wheels by giving us extreme situations and presenting them in an over-the-top manner that literally does nothing for the viewer. You might chuckle, but you definitely won’t laugh.
I like Charlie Day. I championed It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia during its first season, back when it was on the verge of cancelation. I also like Ice Cube and know that he can be damn funny, as well. The two of them together ought to be a no-brainer and, as teachers, well, what could be funnier than that? Unfortunately, watching paint dry is a lot more fun than the slop thrown up on the screen here. We get scenes of public masturbation, teachers smoking pot, staff hooking up with students and much, much more.
Even comedic cameos from Jillian Bell and Tracy Morgan can’t save this one from the gutter trash that it is.
Thanks to the brainless antics thought up by screenwriters Van Robichaux and Evan Susser, I’m convinced now more than ever that Hollywood simply doesn’t have a clue about teachers or the teaching profession. Occasionally, they get it right and deliver something that resembles public education, but director Richie Keen’s Fist Fight is a complete miss on all fronts. It’s not funny. It’s an insult to students, teachers, the actors involved, and comedy as an art form. You can literally hear the air swish between the thrown punch and the intended target.
Teachers behaving badly just got worse.
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[tab title="Details"]
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout, sexual content/nudity and drug material
Runtime: 91 mins
Director: Richie Keen
Writer: Van Robichaux, Evan Susser
Cast: Ice Cube, Charlie Day, Tracy Morgan
Genre: Comedy
Tagline: After school. Parking lot. It's on.
Memorable Movie Quote: "We're gonna handle our differences like real men."
Theatrical Distributor: Warner Bros.
Official Site: http://fistfightmovie.com/
Release Date: February 17, 2017
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: May 30, 2017
Synopsis:
On the last day of the school year, mild-mannered high school English teacher Andy Campbell (Day) is trying his best to keep it together amidst outrageous senior pranks, a dysfunctional administration and budget cuts that are putting his job on the line just as his wife is expecting their second baby.
But things go from bad to worse when Campbell crosses the school’s toughest and most feared teacher, Ron Strickland (Ice Cube), causing Strickland to be fired. To Campbell’s shock—not to mention utter terror—Strickland responds by challenging him to a fist fight after school. News of the fight spreads like wildfire as Campbell takes ever more desperate measures to avoid getting the crap beaten out of him. But if he actually shows up and throws down, it may end up being the very thing this school, and Andy Campbell, needed.
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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]
Blu-ray Details:
Home Video Distributor: Warner Bros.
Available on Blu-ray - Own Fist Fight on Blu-ray and DVD on May 30!
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1; Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1; English: Dolby Digital 5.1
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set (1 BD-50, 1 DVD); UV digital copy; Digital copy; DVD copy
Region Encoding: Region A
Warner Bros dumps this one upon us with a solid 1.85:1 AVC 1080p transfer. The film is ripe with texture and color even if the jokes fall flat. It doesn't; however, insult the eyes. This is a bright, bright, bright transfer that ripples with warm colors and heavy greens. Black levels are strong throughout and skin tones are perfect in their display of imperfections. There is no noticeable digital manipulation. The 5.1 DTS-HD MA track is effective with dialogue being front-loaded and immersive experience delegated to the rear channels.
Supplements:
Commentary:
-
No
Special Features:
We get more unfunny deleted scenes. Wow. A bonus DVD and HD Copy of the film is also included in the release.
- Deleted Scenes
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[tab title="Trailer"]
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[tab title="Art"]
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