Good start, mediocre followthrough

Rating: Null/10 (5 June 2000)

Consumerism is a mentality espoused by corporations and the American media that teaches us to embrace advertising and marketing, and to spend money frequently on frivolous, trendy merchandise from multinational corporations rather than buy locally, save, or spend wisely. Consumerism is very much an addiction: we endlessly buy worthless junk and status symbols to find happiness; spending is spiritual and shopping malls are the temples. Fight Club, surprisingly, recognizes and sketches this premise out on a magnificent scale (shocking considering this was released by Fox). Our main character is a slave to the corporate machine and spends his money on trinkets and trendy furniture. His spiritual quest for happiness leads him to support groups and finally, in an odd turn of events, to fighting, which although providing a temporary high, takes our characters to rock bottom. At that point the suspension of disbelief unravels and the film wanders, tossing the audience a lame succession of improbable conspiracies, psychologies, and ridiculous plot twists (essentially turning into "The Game"). Sorry, I don't buy it.