Fist Fight, Movie Review

Brandon Vick offers his full review of Fist Fight on SoBros Network.

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The inmates have indisputably taken over the asylum at Roosevelt High School; yet, the students aren’t nearly as insane as the teachers in Fist Fight, an outrageously illogical, lewd comedy obsessed with dick jokes. Charlie Day and Ice Cube don’t venture too far out of their comfort zones, but their pairing, however unlikely, makes for a good comedy showdown. Even if Cube just growls with death glares frozen on his face, delivering some of that Straight Outta Compton attitude. He’s N.W.A. for life. Only he can still have street cred after Are We There Yet? and Are We Done Yet?.

Day plays Andy Campbell, a frightened, wimpy English teacher who gets pushed around and stepped on. He’s too blind to see it, but everyone at school, his pregnant wife (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), and his daughter Ally (Alexa Nisenson) can spot it from miles away. It’s the last day of school and all hell has broken loose with Senior Day pranks. From the moment Campbell walks in, he knows it’s going to be a terrible day. The longest one of his life.

As Ron Strickland, Cube is a feared man by both kids and faculty. All humans being scared of him is the about the only thing in Fist Fight that makes actual sense. Strickland is a History teacher and a free day really chaps his ass. The anger has been building up inside him for months and when he snaps, Campbell is the unfortunate soul who becomes a witness. Actually, the entire class saw it, but who has the time to interview all of them right?

Anyway, teachers sticking together gets thrown right out the window when jobs are being threatened every second of every minute. Campbell being the man he is, snitches on Strickland. Bad idea. Strickland has no job and has no damns to give. 

The challenge is made but hardly accepted. The rest of the movie wastes away by having Campbell try to get out of it. Preposterous antics and vicious bullying doesn’t make this an entertaining tussle to watch. To director Richie Keen’s credit, the actual battle has the appearance of Day being able to hold his own against Cube. Like I said, ain’t nobody got time for logic up in here.

Where Keen keeps his movie swinging is in the mutation of Campbell, especially as he sees himself in his daughter. Ally has her own bully to deal with, and her whole existence is on the line at her dance recital. They’ve been practicing for weeks, her father can’t fail her now. Without a doubt, Fist Fight packs its only heavy punch with the recital scene, making it almost worth the price of admission.

Ultimately, Fist Fight fails on suspense and laughs. It can’t go the distance, most of the time finding itself on the ropes, dishing out an education of stupidity and missed opportunities. As far as main event R rated comedies, this remains way down on the undercard.

Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.

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