The people that don't like this movie generally fall into 2 groups

Rating: 10/10 (2 October 2004)

The people that don't like this generally fall into 2 groups: Those that approach it believing its central theme is fighting and those that think it is shallow and represents everything it claims to be against.
9 out of 10 people fall into the 1st category and feel let down when they realize that fighting encompasses a relatively small amount of the movie's content. They are what I classify as "mouth breathers" or the "lowest common denominator". They are incapable of ignoring their preconceived notions of the movie's theme and unable to judge the movie on what it really is. To them, it is a disappointment that they saw a completely different movie than they expected, and it is therefore sub-par in their narrow little world.
The other 10% see the themes and story for what they are, but feel it's over-produced and "too stylish", something the movie purports to outright protest. What is lost on these poor souls is that was the exact point of why it is the way it is. It makes fun of itself, all the while protesting our modern culture. It's the ultimate self-deprecating humor.
I know there are others who don't like the movie for a variety of reasons, but these are generalizations and are, therefore, generally true. There are exceptions, but these are what the majority of negative feelings for this movie encompass.
To me, this movie is clever and full of great, dark humor. The violence these men engage in is the same kind of self-destructive behavior that "cutting" is for young women. They both feel numb to the world and cutting or fighting is the way they have chosen to "feel". Of course it's not a healthy way to address these emotional crises, but the movie uses it as a way of illustrating the lengths to which people sometimes go in their search for a cure to their despair.
I enjoy watching this movie over and over again. It's one of the few movies that never gets boring no matter how many times I see it.
10/10