For the most part solid, but bizarre ending throws whole thing off course

Rating: 8/10 (16 October 1999)

"Fight Club" is a jarring and often thought-provoking satire about people fighting against the system, and the explosive violence that could erupt when humanity starts to retaliate against society and it's confinements. It's dark social commentary basically points out the fact that man's search for self-identity and value can only be achieved through raw violence, because that is the only way a man can find out just how powerful he is, letting go of life's monotonous routine and deconstructing himself in every possible way. The film's gritty and unflinching portrayal of havoc breaking loose, mentally and physically, is at times hard to swallow, but overall it is a pretty fascinating thing to watch, and only it's strengthened by the lead performances and a caustic script. Edward Norton is great as a bored business man who begins to explore the satisfaction of destruction and rebellion, and Brad Pitt is simply terrific as the fearless sociopath who guides Norton through this journey, he successfully keeps his character believably complex. "Fight Club" is pretty much a solid movie for the most part, but for some reason it derails into bizarre psychological revelation in the last third. In many ways it is weakly established, especially the conclusion, and it just throws the whole movie off-course. But in the long run, "Fight Club" is strong enough to keep the virtues outweighing the flaws, and it is overall still an audacious and powerful film that will keep you laughing, cringing and thinking all the way through.