Rating: Summary: A great film made greater on DVD Review: This is entertainment at its finest: brilliant script, incredible performances, expert cinematography and skilful direction. Edward Norton is completely believable as your ordinary everyman who longs for something more than his cookie-cutter life. Brad Pitt delivers his usual strong performance, full of swagger and bravado, as the man who can (and will) change everything. This movie is not so much about fighting (though of course there's quite a bit of that) as it is about escapism, being someone you aren't or have always wanted to be. And believe me, in this film it's true - talk about a surprise ending! You won't see it coming, trust me. And DVD is truly the best way to appreciate this film. The four audio commentaries provide depth and detail - I recommend listening to the one featuring the director (David Fincher) and the principal actors (Norton, Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter). It's hilarious and makes you appreciate a lot of the subtleties of the film (and why Edward Norton dislikes those new VW Beetles). Disc 2 adds deleted scenes and alternate takes (with immediate comparison to the actual takes and notes explaining the choice), promotional materials (theatrical trailers, TV spots, even the mock PSAs done by Norton and Pitt), and some amazing "making of" footage with multiple-angle options. This one is a great addition to any DVD collection. PS: look out for a cameo by Live lead singer Ed Kowalczyk in one of the restaurant scenes, and try to spot the two subliminal images of Tyler Durden (Pitt's character) which are early clues to the surprise at the end.
Rating: Summary: A Groundbreaking Film! Brilliant Performances! Review: It is a rare occurrence when one finds a movie that can captivate a viewer and suddenly and without warning turn everything around to the point where the person says, "Wait a MINUTE!" David Fincher's masterful and exciting film FIGHT CLUB does more than simply entertain. It blows the mind! Edward Norton plays the un-named narrator and average-guy insomniac who becomes obsessed with self-help groups, though nothing is seriously wrong with him. When he meets another "faker" as he calls himself, he becomes mixed up with Marla Singer(Helena Bonham Carter), a chain smoker with suicidal tendencies. Norton flies around the country assessing car damages for his job, and on a particular flight he meets Tyler Durden(Brad Pitt). Tyler is the epitome of stylish, cool, and without a doubt the one man who can do anything. Norton's apartment mysteriouly explodes, and Durden allows Norton to stay with him. Together, they discover a certain animal pleasure in fighting. They form an underground FIGHT CLUB where men meet and simply fight each other. Soon however, this organization will become much more than just a club. Edward Norton gives a phenomenal and mesmerizing performance and establishes himself as one of the best young actors of our generation. Brad Pitt is simply amazing as Durden, playing a role that only a gifted actor could accomplish. Helena Bonham Carter gives a surprisingly powerful performance as Marla and gives the character tons of dimension. Also great is the supporting performace by Meatloaf, an ex-bodybuilder with testicular cancer. David Fincher has directed a fast-paced, humorous, and spectacular film whose most incredible and surprising twist near the end will knock you off your seat! I cannot tell you what that is however. It is something you must find out on your own.
Rating: Summary: A dark, grim, and bloody joyride into oblivion. Review: David Fincher definitely has guts. Not since 'Death Wish' have I seen a movie that celebrates it's brutality so much. But no matter. What 'Fight Club' lacks in compassion it more then makes up for in humor and style. Fincher's direction is near-perfect, shadowy and smooth-flowing camera work highlights every scene. It is a film director's dream come true. The story is a bit strange, to say the least. It's the story of two men: Edward Norton, an insomniac so disillusioned and removed from life that he has to attend support-group meeting in order to feel anything at all. And Brad Pitt, a seemingly unhinged, yet extremely charismatic soap salesman with ego and machismo to burn. The two men meet after Norton's highrise apartment... uh... explodes. They are perfect counterparts, one out of touch with his own manhood, the other a man who wallows in it. They start up an underground boxing club called 'fight club' where men come and beat each other up, apparently to release their frustration and get back in touch with what makes them men in the first place (which I guess is brutality or stupidity, I can't decide which). Everything is going fine until a woman named Marla (Helena Bonham Carter, sexy and snake-like) makes her way into their lives, sparking a bizarre chain of events that leads to terrorism and chaos. The story, from a book by Chuck Palahniuk, is twisted and convoluted, never really making sense until the end where we receive a final plot twist that is so pointless it's revolutionary. But the fine points of the plot never really matter. The only thing that matters is what we're watching on the screen before us at the time. Like a train wreck, the film is dark and repulsive, but we can't turn our eyes away. The bloody fist-fights come to startlingly vivid life on DVD, each thud of a fist hitting skin rockets through us. We squirm and we shudder, but we're fascinated. The movie might not be full of meaning but it is nonetheless remarkable. The performances are all top-notch, especially Meat Loaf in a supporting role as Bob who, due to treatments for testicular cancer, has grown rather large breasts. The twisted sense of humor of writer Jim Uhls and the fluid, breathtaking direction of David Fincher makes this film more like a rollercoaster then an endurence test. You're retching but laughing all the while. The DVD is AMAZING!!! Four commentary tracks from the cast and director, dozens of behind-the-scenes featurettes, trailers, photo galleries, deleted scene... literally days worth of extras are packed onto the two discs. There hasn't been a better reason to own a DVD player yet.
Rating: Summary: Something Else Review: If your looking for something unique in a nothing-new-under-the-sun hollywood, this is the film you should get. One of those few movies that you will enjoy watching and get you thinking at the same time.
Rating: Summary: Use soap. -Tyler Durden Review: The Fight Club DVD was probably one of the best movie purchases I have ever made. This film easily keeps up to par with such movies as The Matrix or The Usual Suspects. An explanation of the message the movie conveys, however, would probably take up more than the alotted space- it is NOT JUST ABOUT FIGHTING. I will, however, say this: Fight Club attacks the most basic norms of our society and brings out truths we just don't want to accept. Once you fully understand the movie, you will question some of the most basic things you do in daily life. Fight Club is a MUST-SEE for any movie fanatic with an open mind and enough time to watch it more than twice. (You'll need to if you want to understand it!) Buy it today- it's well worth your "money"!
Rating: Summary: Bleak Genius Review: **sigh** This movie depresses me, not because it's sad or mean-spirited, though it certainly is the latter for much of the film, but because many people just don't get it. "It was fascist!" "It was chauvanist!" "It was misleading!" Most of these comments boil down to, "It made fun of me!", in which case one may certainly be right. The film is thoughtful and violent on a much deeper level than quasi-philsophical fare like The Matrix, but it's ultimately optimistic. There's a lot of parody to the movie, but there's also a lot of serious social commentary. Fight Club is dangerous. That much, everyone can agree on. Much whining takes place concerning the film's apparent lack of social responsibility, but all Fincher does is address the obvious. Yes, there are disenfranchised American men everywhere, and they need more than they have. Fight Club is the other side of the American Beauty coin - sex is one issue that is coming to a head, aggression is another. An eerie similarity in the 'resignation' scenes in both of these movies proves that point. Jack may not like women, but Marla is more than he bargains for and surprises him to the point that he risks everything he has for her, pitting himself against his role model, Tyler. The violence here is painful, that's true, but I much prefer the honesty of Fight Club's non-lethal beatings to the kinetic, casual cruelty of The Matrix's now-infamous Lobby Scene, in which at least thirty people are brutally killed. This is, again, the perfect companion peice to American Beauty. Watch Fight Club, and think.
Rating: Summary: Fight Club is a Rocket Launcher of Suspense Review: This film is one of director David Finchers' best. The screenplay is unnerving with the way the movie shoots sequences at you. And the perverse dialogue borders with such great films as Pulp Fiction and Hannibal. Its a true anti-society masterpiece told with marvelous suspense!
Rating: Summary: Thought-provoking or Hypocritical? Review: Fight Club is a very atmospheric, highly-stylized, complicated movie that deals with the issue of existentialism through the eyes of a nameless character deemed "Narrator" (Ed Norton).I thought that the film was all-over-the-place thematically (trying hard to juggle itself between Camus' "The Stranger" and "Last Action Hero"), complicated, and ultimately contradictory. If the film was so much about antiestablishment, anti-consumerism, and anti-big business, then why did they advertise many name-brand merchandise in their film? For instance, IKEA had to approve of its name usage the film's script in order for them to use it. The film is so hypocritical. In addition, the film gets rather lengthy and dull after the first hour. I found myself turning off the film and doing other things. Fortunately, I returned to it and during the end it started to pick back up. On first watch, the film is very confusing, but once you watch it a second time or at least ponder it within your mind for an extended period of time you begin to piece things together in the very complicated plot. I read a lot of reviews that said "this movie made you *think*," of course this movie will make you think: what movie DOESN'T? Even if a movie is horrible, it will make you think, "Wow, this is a horrible movie" (or something along those lines), right? So spare me with that argument. Also, I read a lot of reviews from people who completely agreed with all of the film's hegemonic beliefs and ideologies. The idea that we are all "living in a time with no wars, we haven't had any major wars, therefore what is our purpose," and the tired, fashionable, Gen-X notion that we are all living meaningless, purposeless, lifeless consumer-driven, commercial, social-climbing lives. If you *really* believe this is so and stand completely behind these viewpoints, why don't you turn your COMPAQ computer off along with the SONY VCR or DVD PLAYER you used to watch the film, leave your 3 BEDROOM HOME, abandon your HONDA, and go to the woods, so that you can live off the land, smell musty, eat grapes, and get mauled by a bear. Stop griping and complaining about the world being a "horrible, meaningless place" and do something about it. Make your life worthwhile: go volunteer, help out in the communities of those in need (like the inner city or even your own community), try to make a difference instead of sipping your STARBUCKS FRAPPACINO and watching films by overpaid actors and writers, while you sit on your duff complaining about how screwed up YOUR WORLD is.
Rating: Summary: I'm surprised Hollywood made this one! It's excellent! Review: It is really a shock to me that Hollywood made this movie because the film revels in its anti-consumerism, anti-mainstream theme. This film simply rages against all the impossible things that Hollywood and the mainstream media always promise: wealth, fame, beauty, immortality, etc. If you want to see an alternative take on today's society, you should watch this film. Many people complain about the glorification of violence in the film. Actually, only one person is killed in the film, although there is a lot of bloody fighting(obviously). Regardless, in the end, I think that the film redeems itself of any charge of gratuituous violence, as the main character attempts to undo the damage which he has unwittingly wrought. The audio and video quality of this DVD are superb, and the 2-disc set comes with 4 commentary audio tracks. The second disc is simply devoted to extra features, including many behind-the-scenes clips as well as deleted scenes. Overall, the extra material adds quite a lot of depth to your understanding of the film.
Rating: Summary: Social Anarchy at its Best Review: WITHOUT A DOUBT THE SINGLE GREATEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME!
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