There’s an astute, appropriate parallel sitting at the heart of Fist Fight. In fact, it’s the only occasion where those terms might apply to the comedy. A high school is a mess thanks to a combination of obvious factors — it’s the final day of term, the senior class is pulling a range of elaborate pranks, cutbacks are being made, resources are already scarce, and teachers are more than a little tense and stressed — but it’s the lack of care and passion, as well as a systemic belief that doing the bare minimum will suffice that proves the main issue. The film itself doesn’t share the same circumstances, but it does share the same overarching problems and outcome.
Within the narrative, all of the above weighs heaviest upon two educators: English teacher Andy Campbell (Charlie Day, TV’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) is eager but hardly assertive, as even his pregnant wife (JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Once Upon a Time) and pre-teen daughter (Alexa Nisenson, Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life) recognise; history teacher Strickland (Ice Cube, xXx: Return of Xander Cage) is thoroughly intimidating, whether unimpressed by a new coffee machine or his pupils’ trickster behaviour, and slinging scorn or wielding an axe to show it. Over the course of one day, their paths will cross several times over, more so when the latter challenges the former to the titular form of violence to settle their pronounced differences.
Thin, stretched and silly scenarios lead to the altercation being set; the same eventuates once the confrontation is proposed. Fist Fight revels not only in its irreverence but its over-abundance — of material, scenarios and gags, rather than any thinking behind them. It’s easy to hope for more depth in its presentation of and therefore potential statement upon America’s school system, its depiction of a culture of organisations over individuals, its comment on adults behaving worse than adolescents to get by, and its stereotype-driven dynamic of nerd versus bully, as well as shades of masculinity and contrasts in race. Alas, horses on meth, teachers lusting over students, penis gags and Andy’s competing, deadline-enforcing need to attend his daughter’s dance recital amidst his workplace chaos typify the film’s preferred level of humour and cliché.
Accordingly, the immensely likeable cast try — and sometimes succeed — in lifting their excursion into routine, raucous territory. Sometimes they just try, and sometimes their attempts flail, though. No one involved overextended themselves: Day offers a less absurd version of his small screen persona, hitting more everyman notes while ramping up the pushover traits that supposedly make his pairing with his co-lead so hilarious; Cube stares, yells and endeavours to scare as a character whose fearsome presence and supposedly surprising love of the past are his defining traits. Supporting efforts by Tracy Morgan (The Night Before), Jillian Bell (Office Christmas Party), Dean Norris (Secret in Their Eyes), Christina Hendricks (The Neon Demon) and Kumail Nanjiani (Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates) are hampered by the script, and do little more than add more underused talent to the cast.
Under first-time feature director Richie Keen’s (The Goldbergs) guidance, it all comes together with the colour and energy of someone who is excited about their concept and in a rush to get everything on the screen, though that’s not particularly a positive development. In fact, that approach ensures the short movie bounces by, but it can’t patch over the simultaneously flimsy but stuffed script from writers Van Robichaux (Seth Rogen = Worst Person in the World) and Evan Susser (What’s Going On? with Mike Mitchell), based on a story devised by the duo and actor Max Greenfield (New Girl).
Rating: 2 stars out of 5
Fist Fight
Director: Richie Keen
USA, 2017, 91 mins
Release date: February 23
Distributor: Roadshow
Rated: MA
Actors:
Director:
Format:
Country:
Release:
