‘Fist Fight’ sets Ice Cube up to Fall Flat

“Fist Fight” is loosely based on the 1987 teen comedy, “Three O’Clock High.” This time around, instead of having two students at the center of the titular conflict, we have two high school teachers ready to brawl.

Andy Campbell (Charlie Day) is a traditional, well-intentioned high school English teacher who is desperately latching onto his job. On the last day of the school year, he finds himself in a predicament with his fellow colleague Ron Strickland, portrayed by Ice Cube. After snitching on Strickland to the school principal (Dean Norris), Campbell is soon challenged to a brawl against him at the end of the school day, which leaves Campbell scrambling to find ways to avoid the confrontation – only to have everything crash down as his day progresses.

At best, “Fist Fight” has a handful of chuckle-worthy moments and even two major laugh-out-loud moments. One particular sequence uses a Big Sean song to great effect, and mirrors the shock-and-awe of the infamous striptease sequence from “Little Miss Sunshine.”

Also, the film’s fight lends itself to some wonderful physical comedy. Both Day and Cube play to their strengths throughout the film, and have an interesting rapport that plays well, particularly in the climactic battle.

Unfortunately, despite having its moments, “Fist Fight” plays much of its comedy too broadly, with many of the jokes falling flat. Tracy Morgan and Jillian Bell help round out the main supporting cast, and although they are both capable of hilarious material, their characters are subjected to gimmicky tropes.

The film also resorts to repetitive juvenile innuendos – often through the use of visual non-sequiturs involving images depicting the male and female anatomy to crude effect.

As for Day and Cube, although their rapport shines in a few moments throughout the film, they both play similar characters from some of their most popular work with a few alterations.

Day is a more intelligent version of his character from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” to which he often screams in order to make sure his point is made. Cube is once again typecast as another intimidating black authority figure that even reaches a line of self-parody once his character speaks the title of one of his most iconic songs from N.W.A.

“Fist Fight” does try to have an interesting message at the heart of the two main characters’ conflict. For a moment, it attempts to address the state of public schools and how the need for better faculty and educational material would influence the students to reach their fullest potential. Unfortunately, the film’s message is bogged down by a lazy script that lacks the clever insightfulness needed to properly convey a fascinating and timely discussion – especially given the controversy surrounding President Trump’s Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos.

Thankfully, “Fist Fight” does not overstay its welcome. At 91 minutes, the film manages to pack in a few moments of genuine hilarity, particularly in the film’s titular battle. Sadly, the film resorts to too much juvenile humor that becomes too mean-spirited at points.

In what could have been a fascinating satire on the state of American public schools, “Fist Fight” unfortunately pulls too many punches.