Review: Fist Fight

Synopsis:

Ice Cube and Charlie Day star as high school teachers prepared to solve their differences the hard way. On the last day of the year, mild-mannered high school English teacher Andy Campbell (Day) is trying his best to keep it together amidst senior pranks, a dysfunctional administration and budget cuts that put jobs on the line. But things go from bad to worse when he accidentally crosses his much tougher and deeply feared colleague, Ron Strickland (Ice Cube), who challenges Campbell to an old-fashioned throwdown after school. News of the fight spreads like wildfire and ends up becoming the very thing this school, and Campbell, needed.

What We Thought:

Fist Fight is the latest disappointing comedy to hit the megaplex. It’s yet another comedy that shouldn’t be bad, but kinda is.

Maybe if I didn’t watch so many damn movies I might enjoy comedies like this, but right now I simply don’t. I used to love comedies, but today they are all the same. I like the concept of the film, two teachers who fight each other on the last day of school. I don’t think I’ve seen that before. That’s original. Unfortunately that’s the only originality this film has.

There are jokes about drugs and sex and technology and “kids today” and yawn. One female teacher wants to have sex with a student. Charlie Day’s character ends up on videos online and he’s surprised that happened (despite knowing all kids today have cell phones). There’s a VCR bit as well because you know, VCRs are technology from the Stone Age! I almost forgot all the penis jokes. Yep there’s a slew of unoriginal penis jokes.

The thing is, this movie should/could be good. Charlie Day is a really funny guy. He’s great in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Same for Pacific Rim and I actually liked the Horrible Bosses films. Jillian Bell can be funny. Kumail Nanjiani is funny. Christina Hendricks is surprisingly funny as well. Why isn’t this better?

Plus Ice Cube can be funny. Sure he’s playing the hard-nosed, straight edge, tough guy teacher here, but the Friday and Barbershop films show he can get laughs as well. And it’s great seeing Tracy Morgan in front of the camera. That accident took him away for too long, it’s good seeing him working because he is hilarious (say it like he does!).

I will say I laughed once or twice and chuckled a few times. I chuckled mostly at Tracy Morgan and Kumail’s characters. I remember laughing once at Day’s character talking to a gay student. The fight itself is kind of funny and I smiled at the dance routine Day and his on-screen daughter do.

The weirdest part is, people around me were laughing throughout. The woman directly in front of me seemed to thoroughly enjoy herself. Why can’t I enjoy films like Fist Fight anymore? Better yet, why aren’t they making comedies funny in the first place?

Cast & Crew:

• Charlie Day
• Ice Cube
• Tracy Morgan
• Jillian Bell
• Dean Norris
• Christina Hendricks,
• Dennis Haysbert
• JoAnna Garcia Swisher