Small-town boy Shawn MacArthur has come to New York City with nothing. Barely earning a living selling counterfeit goods on the streets, his luck changes when scam artist Harvey Boarden sees that he has a natural talent for streetfighting. When Harvey offers Shawn help at making the real cash, the two form an uneasy partnership.
The tell-it-as-it-is title hardly indicates anything out of the ordinary, but this bare-knuckle boxing flick is put together with more love than you'd expect.
– Trevor Johnston,
Time Out,
15 May 2009
fresh:
The fights may not be very convincing, but the story's underdog structure is satisfying in a happy-cliche sort of way. Fighting is Rocky without the bombast, Fight Club without the daft metaphysical pretensions.
– David Denby,
New Yorker,
4 May 2009
rotten:
This is a story we've seen dozens of times before.
– Ben Lyons,
At the Movies,
27 Apr 2009
fresh:
There's an effective, unstylized authenticity to those fights. A life or death mania, which enhanced the film's credibility.
– Ben Mankiewicz,
At the Movies,
27 Apr 2009
fresh:
Fighting arrives fully charged by the charisma of its star, Channing Tatum.