overrated

Rating: Null/10 (27 May 2002)

"Fight Club" is about a yuppie who, dissatisfied with his hollow life, turns first to support groups which he doesn't need to fill his emptiness, and then by chance becomes involved with a marginal character played by Brad Pitt; together they start a "Fight Club" in which lonely, empty men like themselves get together and pound each other just for the sensation. Eventually the "Fight Club" takes over the nation. I know alot of people whose opinions I otherwise respect who think this is a really good, intellectually challenging movie - I thought it was nothing special. The basic concept and its development never struck me as anything other than smarmy and obvious and the humor as merely cutesy (in fact, the plot seemed like a slightly-raunchier-than-average sitcom premise extended to feature-length). The MTV-style direction was ... MTV-style direction, that's all. The only thing that it really had going for it was that Brad Pitt, whom I knew only as a People Magazine pretty boy, proves that he can actually act - but that trivial fact doesn't make for an entire movie. If you really want to see a decent satire on contemporary America, check out "Andy Warhol's Bad", and forget this lame attempt at meaning by filmmakers whose talents are better suited for mass-produced Cineplex product.