A talented actor, Channing Tatum first caught my attention a while ago and he recently appeared in Fighting. Since his last great movie, Stop Loss, I had profoundly become interested in the movies he has appeared in. I expected to see blood, ghastly bruises, and red, swollen eyes, from the name of the movie. I was right.

  Shawn MacArthur (Channing Tatum) begins the movie in the city of New York, where he is trying to escape his past experiences. He finds himself poor and without money, which eventually leads him to street fighting for money. Harvey (Terrence Howard) offers him a job in which he explains to him that all Shawn has to do is fight. Shawn begins a partnership with him but also an uneasy friendship that changes his view of life. Rich and wealthy business men gamble money on who they believe will win the fight. The winner receives all the money, whereas the loser receives nothing.

  Shawn’s potential is tested in each of his fights. Every fight has its different opponents and difficulties and Shawn is forced to face his weaknesses. Just when he thought that he had escaped his past, he sees himself confronting an old rival.

  I would recommend Fighting to everyone except small children because it might be too violent. The movie presents a message that speaks to the audience, demonstrating that when you think all the doors have closed on you, you either need to break one door down or turn the other way. You can’t give up on yourself because only you know what you are capable of doing to survive. The depiction of Shawn’s determination makes for a thought-provoking and inspirational film.