three movies in one

Rating: Null/10 (23 January 2004)

"I am Jack's movie review."
One reason this movie is so hard to classify is that there are actually three separate storylines in one. The first is a comedy buddy movie between Pitt and Norton that takes about the first half of the movie. Intertwined into this is a psycho love story between Norton and Carter, taking about the same parts. Project Mayhem is where the horror/thriller begins, along the lines of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."
Part of what makes this movie unique is the juxtaposition of three non-cliched cliche storylines. It's a sick, twisted buddy movie. It's a sick, twisted love story. It's a tame horror/thriller (where other than Meat Loaf's head-bullet and Norton's neck wound, nobody gets seriously hurt.)

"I love you....Sir."
What makes it work is the comedy. The funny parts make the ludicrous parts more realistic and bring a very unusual level of reality to the actors and the situations. "Dark comedy" or "black comedy" is most often used to describe this film, although few dark comedies reach the levels of hilarity this film does.
To avoid spoilers, let's say that for most people, the first viewing is nowhere nearly as rewarding as the 2nd, 3rd, or 40th viewing. And then, once you think you've figured it all out, you discover even more hidden caveats in the DVD commentaries.
One tidbit at the end of the actor's commentary is that Norton approached Pitt and they talked about making movies that stand the test of time. While some movies still in print are still in print for mysterious and unknown reasons, in literature, "classic books" are those that contain universal themes, often while reflecting culture and society of the time.

"Fight Club" definitely has a lot of philosophy, a lot more than say "The Matrix." A short list: Fathers, fatherhood and a father's responsibility the existence, real or imagined, of God the Feminization of men Anger vs. aggression friendship, relationships, and love mental and spiritual strength vs physical
However, the philosophy here has not reached the mass appeal of say Yoda-isms from "The Empire Strikes Back" nor "The Matrix," probably because of realistic context, homeoerotic overtones, or general weirdity. But, are they universal? Definitely. Does it reflect the culture of the day? Of course.
"The 4th rule of movie reviews: make up your own words like 'weirdity.'"
So, should you watch "Fight Club?" There's a 50/50 chance to either really love it or really hate it after the first viewing. If you already hate it, maybe it's time to watch it again. There's a level of maturity that is required to really enjoy it and get past the repulsive surface features, frat boy mentality, and toilet humor.
"You haven't watched a movie this f*cked since grade school."