Fight Club
Movie
Review
Posters of the desi FIGHT CLUB instantly
conjure images of the videshi FIGHT CLUB
[1999; Brad Pitt, ''Michael Meatloaf Lee Aday].
But barring the title and the basic premise [of
starting a fight club], there's nothing remotely
similar about the two films. Having said that,
let's also add that in this rapidly changing
scenario, when Bollywood is churning out novel
stories, a few storytellers continue to have
faith in the tried and tested formula.
FIGHT CLUB, directed by Vikram Chopra, is one
such film.
Nothing wrong if you believe in the oft-repeated
masala, but you ought to go that extra
mile to give all that and more to the viewer of
today. Unfortunately, FIGHT CLUB is only style,
no substance. The film bears a polished look all
through, but how one wishes the makers would've
served the entertainment-hungry moviegoer a
sumptuous fare.
Standing on a weak foundation [plot], the
screenplay is nothing but an assemblage of a few
well executed sequences. But let's not forget
that gloss and glitter cannot substitute for an
arresting plot. Visually and technically, FIGHT
CLUB may be a notch above the ordinary, but when
it comes to content and the overall impact, the
zing and dynamism are clearly missing.
To sum up, this 'club' will not find many
members flocking it!
FIGHT CLUB tells the journey of four friends,
Vicky [Zayed Khan], Karan [Dino Morea], Somil [Ritiesh
Deshmukh] and Diku [Aashish Chowdhry], who, in a
constant endeavor to help each other, get
entangled in a web of incidents, some romantic,
many funny and all that test the extremes of
their friendship.
The four friends, who could be mistaken for
brothers, are an example of wonderful
camaraderie. The story takes a turn when Vicky
stumbles upon the idea of a Fight Club, a club
which gives people a platform to score with
their enemies in an atmosphere of fun, action
and excitement.
Amidst the on-going fun, team Fight Club get
entangled in affairs of the heart and mind with
Anu [Dia Mirza] and Shonali [Amrita Arora],
which thicken their bonds tighter… and make them
travel to Delhi to look after a nightclub,
'Crossroads', which is in the eye of a storm
created by Delhi's most dangerous ganglords.
There's a twist in the tale as the ex-kingpin
Anna's [Suniel Shetty] brother Mohit [Yash Tonk]
gets killed. This fills Anna with vengeance and
situations take an ugly turn. Dinesh [Ashmit
Patel], a merciless soul, masterminds the plan
of killing. His brother Sandy [Rahul Dev] gives
him strong company, as always.
Team Fight Club calls on their ace, Sameer [Sohail
Khan], a bouncer, to tilt the balance in their
favor. In the puffed up atmosphere of fists and
fights, Sameer finds love in the name of Komal [Neha
Dhupia]. Now, in a strange new city, these five
boys from Mumbai experience love, passion and
also the worst enemies in the form of ganglords.
If there's one aspect that you carry home after
FIGHT CLUB has concluded, it's the skillfully
executed action sequences. Of course, the film
has to live up to the title, but not at the cost
of throwing the story on the backseat. That's
precisely the problem with FIGHT CLUB.
Actually, come to think of it, the film stands
on a feeble foundation. The basic premise -- of
starting a fight club to settle scores with foes
-- sounds juvenile. The concept may've appealed
in the U.S., but expecting the Indian masses or
the youth in particular to buy this idea is next
to impossible.
If the material is amateurish, the screenplay is
of convenience completely. In fact, out of the
2.45 minutes' length of this film, half of it is
devoted to either singing, dancing and light
banter and the remaining half goes into fights,
fights and more fights. The story, sadly, comes
to the fore only in the penultimate reels.
Director Vikram Chopra has concentrated more on
visuals than content and that's the reason why
the film fails to hold your attention. The sole
aspect that stays alive even after the show has
ended is the action sequences, but that's no
compliment. It's a clear case of form
overpowering content!
Music [Pritam] is a mixed bag. Barring two
tracks, the first song and 'Chhore Ki Baatein',
which are foot tapping, the soundtrack is
monotonous otherwise. Cinematography is
eye-catching. The film has an upmarket look from
start to end. Stunts are outstanding, but the
MATRIX effects are getting repetitive. Dialogues
lack novelty.
The story doesn't demand histrionics, but the
ones who stand out are, in this order, Zayed
Khan, Dino Morea and Sohail Khan. Suniel Shetty
is wasted. Ritesh also doesn't get much scope.
Aashish Chowdhry irritates. Yash Tonk goes over
the top. Ashmit Patel and Rahul Dev are okay.
The leading ladies don't get much scope either,
but Dia Mirza is easy on the eyes. Amrita Arora
and Neha Dhupia are hardly there.
On the whole, FIGHT CLUB is all style, no
substance. But, let's not forget, all that
glitters is not gold. At the box-office, it's
one major disappointment!