Rating: 
Summary: You can understand this movie and still not like it much
Review: In FIGHT CLUB, the self-consciously "daring" adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's excellent cult novel, men assemble and pound one another in dank basements; they spit blood and teeth and then return for more next week. When this isn't enough for them, they wage war on our consumerist culture with media-friendly, attention-getting pranks that escalate into mass destruction. I bought all this in the book, because Palahniuk's fevered first-person narration puts you inside the exhausted rage of powerless young men who are sick of it all. A movie, however, can be a delicate animal, and this one begins boldly and gradually dies.What happened? The screenplay, by first-timer Jim Uhls, is pretty loyal to the novel; the Narrator, a nameless corporate drudge played by Edward Norton, delivers many of the book's best lines in sarcastic voice-over. But -- and here I must step very lightly in order to avoid major spoilers -- what worked on the page, especially the credibility-stretching plot twist, comes off labored on the screen. Readers of the book may sit there wondering how director David Fincher (SE7EN) will sustain the illusion from scene to scene. Newcomers, in turn, may wonder why many of the scenes are so stilted, with characters entering and exiting as in a screwball play. And when the surprise is sprung, nobody in the audience so much as gasps. Certain images, certain surrealistically funny bits of business, occasionally made me think "I really must buy this on DVD," which is in hilarious counterpoint to the anti-consumerist message the movie is selling. Reading the book, I wasn't thinking about DVDs. Palahniuk made you ponder the lost masculinity of a generation, the ease with which a charismatic brute like Tyler can assemble disgruntled men and unite them in chaos. The book is a modern horror story about how populist fascism can flourish here, and about why this is the perfect time for it. (The detail of soap made of human fat is no accident.) The movie, unfortunately, is a stylish blank, a countercultural advertisement just as slick as the ads it claims to disdain. The last reel, which departs from the book and gives us movie-ish thrills we've seen a hundred times before, is about as saddening a commentary on Hollywood as any I've witnessed. What's even sadder is that those involved with FIGHT CLUB think they've made something scathing and radical, and that some viewers might agree with them.
Rating: 
Summary: gripping exploration of the personal and collective shadow
Review: This is one of the most interesting Hollywood films I have seen in a long time. The plot revolves around a young man and a new friend with whom he starts up a fighting club for men. However, contrary to the previews as shown in theaters, the film is about a lot more than just a bunch of guys fighting. It explores some very troubling themes--the shadow, consumerism and its deflection of our spiritual drives, alienation and lonliness in urban culture, the repression of our basic instincts--just to name a few. The cinematography is stunning and uses a techique employed by the character Tyler Durden in the film: Tyler, in his job as a theater projectionist, splices pornographic one-frame shots into the films he runs. Watch Fight Club closely--there are two places where a fleeting shot appears, once about 15 minutes into the film, another at the very end. This end shot undercuts the rather schmaltzy Hollywood closing image in a sarcastically humorous way. And that's another great aspect of this film--the anti-social humor, which will not appeal to all tastes, but which is brilliantly carried off. Just seeing Brad Pitt in his filthy bathrobe with the appliqued coffee cups all over it is really very droll..... Pitt's acting is wonderful, so is Ed Norton's.....and the two of them together make a synergy which is very powerful. Helena Bonham Carter does a great job as Marla, the love interest whose vulgarity comes off as an almost endearing quality. I have never really liked Hollywood films much, finding them too defensive of the status quo. However, this film is in an altogether different league. It is daring, provocative, and very funny.
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Summary: Fight Club - The movie that will change everything
Review: When my friend dragged me out to see 'Fight Club', I was not very enthusiastic about seeing the film. But within a few minutes I was thrust into the cold corporate world in a way that a movie had never done to me before. Fight Club does more than puts a movie on the screen to watch. The rich plotline and the subtle symbolism place YOU in the movie. The score to the movie, all pieces by the Dust Brothers, is excellent as well. I highly recommend that you see this movie.
Rating:
Summary: His Name is Robert Paulsen!
Review: This film grows on you, or rather pokes at the back of your brain, burrowing deeper with each replay. Edward Norton (Narrator), one of the great actors of our generation (X), shows his comfort and unique take on playing Everyman's Bipolar. Brad Pitt is Nortons perfect foil. Pitt is at his best when he goes to the edge (i.e. 12 Monkeys) and he does it here as Tyler Durden a truly original character. Helen Bonaham Carter (Marla), strange! and yet beautiful, nothing spectacular but does her job and advances the plot. David Fincher (Director) creates a mesmerizing and visually stunning, albeit gory film (The squeamish are warned). Fincher did not create a movie he created a cinematic experience that leaves you thinking, pondering, analyzing, the characters, the realities of the film, the environment, and the message. The story is disturbing with a nice twist, which really lets you now that you are not just watching a formula movie. I disagree with others take that this film glamorizes anarchy. That is superficial overview of the film and does not do this deep story any justice. Yes the film criticizes consumer culture, but by stripping of the packaging and lowering the volume and showing us the underlying mechanism. The same mechanism that propels fascism, or communism, or any ism for that matter, the one that drives the herd, that tiny little need to belong. I do concede that the mentally challenged should not watch this film for fear of Fight Clubs and Durden wannabes springing up (I am sure they are out there). This is the kind of film an entire film class can write a thesis on and each person will reveal a different message, not due to a lack of focus but because of a density of layers. That credit goes to Chuck Palahniuk the author of Fight Club. A Great Film!
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Summary: I Want You To Hit Me As Hard As You Can
Review: Perhaps the most controversial film of 1999, "Fight Club" fulfills that very request, nailing the viewer harder than they ever expected when they walked into the theater. Needless to say, it encountered harsh criticism from the word "go". The reason for the criticism? Well, that depends on who you ask. Those who dislike the movie will say it was simply too over-the-top with its handling of violence and that it harbored fascist principles, trying to endear them to the mainstream. Oh, shut up. I'm not going to dispute the fact that this is a violent movie. It is, but that's not the point of it. Unlike other movies that purvey violence simply for violence's sake, "Fight Club" puts a mental twist into it. Use the fight to reduce yourself instead of glorify yourself. Get one step closer to having nothing, because it's one less hurdle you'll have to deal with later. Is it necessarily a well-rounded, intellectual plan? No, but no one ever said it was, anyways. It's just a sexy concept that these men who seem to have lost so much can latch onto. Oh, and as for the fascist theory, this film does deal with a lot of nihilistic principles, but it also doesn't put it in a positive light. Did the people who hated this movie not notice how things started to spin way out of control after Fight Club began to grow? I thought not. This film is also deliciously incisive with its dark humor. That's not to say that it doesn't straddle the line sometimes, but when it does, it's clear that that was the intent of David Fincher & Co., if for no other reason than to take the viewer out of their comfort zone. Besides, this film deals with some sick people, so wouldn't it be a bit out of character for the humor to be in the same safe nature as a sitcom? Okay, onto the actual execution of the film. One word: brilliant. Fincher's direction is superb in every aspect, from his limited use of CGI to the minute details, and I mean MINUTE (subliminal Tyler, anyone?) Jim Uhl's adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's killer 1996 novel is both faithful and filled with new scenes that you swear you read in the book. The editing is seamless, and again, the special effects never overthrow the story yet add a new dimension to many parts of the film. As for the music, the Dust Brothers create the most original soundtrack of the decade, refusing to play the game safely and instead making a sonic companion to the film's feel, which takes more talent than most would think. Finally, the acting. Although Pitt's name appears first in the credits, this is Edward Norton's movie. As our narrator "Jack", he portrays every emotion to a capital T. His deadpan delivery in his voice-overs provide some of the biggest laughs in recent memory, but in his actual live-action scenes, you feel anything and everything he feels, particularly rejection, redemption, confusion, and really, really, really messed up affection. But hey, don't think I didn't appreciate Pitt. Just as funny as Norton, his role is the more dangerous (and therefore, the sexier) of the two. In any other movie, he would have stole the show. Finally, Helena Bonham Carter shifts so effortlessly as Marla Singer that it takes awhile to fully grasp the character's changes. Infectious human waste she is not. In closing, while many people will not agree with this movie, at the very least, they should pay it respect for being willing to take on issues we don't like to acknowledge, its ability to make what we don't want to see both provacative and intriguing, and its near-flawless execution. This means you, Ken Turan.
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Summary: Not for me..
Review: Can't connect in any way with this movie. Worst movie I've ever seen..
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Summary: Great Use of DVD Format
Review: When I saw Fight Club in theaters, I witnessed a truly disturbing and intriguing movie. I followed the path of a young man (Edward Norton), made so hollow and emotionless by our society that he must resort to attending testicular cancer (among other deadly diseases) meetings so that he can feel emotion. However, the movie is called Fight Club because soon enough he can no longer even get support from the groups and so he and his new and mysterious friend, Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) start Fight Clubs to feel the emotion and adrenaline of fighting for life. The movie twists and turns into some somewhat unrealistic turns, but the audience gets an amazing glimpse of the human psyche and the dark recesses of the soul that are hidden to society. All that having been said, the marketing team and technical team really went all out on bringing the movie to DVD. The cover box is even great to inspect and look at, and once you get to the two disk DVD's you are stunned. You get all the added features listed above, and so the DVD takes what is really a 4 star movie to the next level.
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Summary: Best twist in a film ever
Review: Every one expected this film to simply be a simple film with over the top graphic violence, however anyone who has seen the film would have to agree that this isn't the case. The fighting part of the film is simply a subplot, with the main plot being one of a psycholigcal insite one mans warpped brain. This is quite simply an excellent film with a plot which will quite simply knock you back and I recomend you watch it, this is one of bratt's best achievements to date, proving he isn't simply a man of muscle but truely can act and can do it well!
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievably bad
Review: I am a big fan of both actors, cult and indy films, and most creative exercises in cinema. However, after waiting for "Fight Club" to come to DVD, I was most excited about the Special Edition extras. After finally seeing it, all I can recommend are the extras, and certainly not the complete waste of talent that this film is. The "story" is a contrived 2-hour-and-17-minute series of vinettes seemingly meant to portray the characters' boredom with everyday life and how even graphic violence can become boring and lead to more extreme sources of gratification. "Fight Club" will leave you shaking your head, leave you extremely disappointed, and make you feel both irritated and in need of a shower. What a downer! Even indy film lovers will no-doubt feel cheated by David Fincher's off-target directionless mess. Fincher thinks it's cool and ground-breaking to use subliminal shots of a blown-up penis (twice) and foreshadow the Brad Pitt character with one-frame shots of him before he actually appears in the film. Does this impress most viewers? I doubt it. This film seems to be targeted at viewers who love to thumb their noses at non-film buffs who supposedly "don't get it" or aren't "smart enough" to figure a film's message. Well, let me tell you, folks. It's not worth trying to figure out this work of depravity. Telling us that the world is decaying is not much of a message, is it? And watching one sick scene after another is pretty depressing stuff; although somewhat like watching a series of car accidents, it can be addictive to some (hence, the 5-star reviews? ). This film misses the mark it intended to hit, and Pitt and Norton need a better film to show off their acting range because this one is a waste.
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Summary: You DO talk about Fight Club.
Review: A potential classic! Alright, maybe that statement was going a tad bit overboard, but the oddness and dark humor contained in this movie will keep you thinking about it long after the credits have rolled. It's basically about a person determined to change our materialistic and commercialized world with the help of a stronger person to latch onto. Brutality is shown when the change begins with shirtless guys getting the anger off their chests by beating each other up. Then it moves onto something greatly larger... see it for yourself!
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