![Fighting [Blu-ray]](http://static.hometheaterforum.com/imgrepo/thumbs/f/f4/B002E01LLG-61SlscaAAYL.jpg/60x60px-LS-B002E01LLG-61SlscaAAYL.jpg)
FIGHTING
Studio: Universal
Film Year: 2009
Film Length: 1 hour 45 mins (PG-13 Version), 1 hour 48 mins (Unrated Version)
Genre: Brawling/Street Fighting/Action/Drama
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
BD Resolution: 1080p
BD Video Codec: VC-1 @ over 30 mpbs
Color/B&W: Color
Audio:
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 @ an average 3.5 mbps (higher for action sequences)
Spanish DTS 5.1
French DTS 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Film Rating: PG-13 (Intense Fight Sequences, Some Sexuality, and Brief Strong Language) Unrated Version (More of the Same)
Release Date: August 25, 2009
Starring: Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard, Luis Guzman, Zulay Henao, and Brian White
Written by: Robert Munic and Dito Montiel
Directed by: Dito Montiel
Film Rating: 3/5
Fighting is a movie that is actually a bit better than I would have expected from first impressions. There’s more heart and more depth here than the previews would lead one to expect. The story is still quite simple: a young street hustler (Channing Tatum) gets pulled into the world of illegal bare-knuckle boxing by a more experienced hustler (Terrence Howard) who sees a chance to achieve respectability for himself. There are a lot of holes in the plot, and most of the cast is fairly inexperienced, but the film still has a great atmosphere to it, and the heart on display is quite winning. Is this Oscar material? Not in my opinion, but it’s still a more interesting time than I expected, and it’s worth a rental for fans of Tatum or Howard, as well as casual boxing fans.
Fighting has been released simultaneously on Blu-ray and standard definition. Both versions have both the theatrical PG-13 version and an unrated cut that just adds three more minutes of stronger material that still feel relatively tame to me. The Blu-ray has the high definition transfer in picture and sound, a bookmarking function, and BD-Live access. Additional features include about 8 minutes of deleted scenes and a digital copy of the unrated version .
VIDEO QUALITY 3/5
Fighting is presented in a 1080p VC-1 1.85:1 transfer that shows a lot of facial detail from Terrence Howard’s facial whiskers to the damage inflicted by the bouts seen in the film. There is one scene that gives me pause, though. In an early-ish street scene with Tatum and Howard, the transfer appears to have trouble resolving the image of a white block-texture shirt worn by Tatum. I have not lowered the transfer rating below 3 as I cannot tell if this problem is native to the transfer itself or is the result of the original photography. But I admit that it took me out of the film for a minute when I saw it. I should note that I watched the film on a 40” Sony XBR2 HDTV. If anyone is watching the film on a larger monitor and is noticing problems, please reply within this thread.
AUDIO QUALITY 3 ½/5
Fighting is presented in an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix in English, as well as standard DTS mixes in Spanish and French. The strong bass lines of the rap music laced through the score get solid support from the subwoofer, and while the surrounds are primarily used for music, there is some directionality in the mix, particularly during the bouts (and one specific bout that ends in gunfire). At the same time, the mix is good enough that even Terrence Howard’s quietest readings come through with refreshing clarity.
SPECIAL FEATURES 1/5
The Blu-Ray presentation of Fighting really skimps on the extras. All you’ll find here is a few minutes of deleted material, and a digital copy of the unrated version. Not a lot here to chew on.
Deleted Scenes (8:03 Total, 1080p) – Several minutes of scene extensions are presented here, including an alternate opening to an early diner scene that includes the rain mantra heard in the film’s trailer. There’s nothing major here, just an indication that the director wisely left this material out of the finished film.
Digital Copy – A second disc is included in the packaging, with a digital copy of the unrated version of the film.
BD-Live - This Blu-ray includes access to Universal’s BD-Live online site, allowing for the viewing of trailers online.
D-Box – For viewers with this system installed in their home theater, this Blu-ray can make use of it.
Subtitles are available for the film and the deleted scenes. A full chapter menu is available for the film. The Blu-ray menus also include the “My Scenes” bookmarking feature and a BD-Live User Guide.
IN THE END...
Fighting is a movie that I didn’t expect to enjoy, but it wound up winning me over after the first couple of rounds. It’s not the best movie of the year or anything like that, but it has more heart than you’d expect and for fans of Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard, there are definitely some rewards here.
Kevin Koster
September 3, 2009.
