Parents' Guide to

Fist Fight

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Terrible messages about masculinity ruin comedy's jokes.

Movie R 2017 91 minutes
Fist Fight Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 16+

Based on 15 parent reviews

age 18+

For adults.

Parents need to know that fist fight is an adult comedy film starring ice cube. 1st thing Parents need to know that it has lots of sexual content and sexual acts and lots of sex talk and 5 explicit and also watching porn scenes. This movie has over the top of explicit extreme adult language Uncountable F. bombs and S words. The violence is not that of a problem but there is scenes where ice cubes slices the table with an ax There's fist fight at the end and more. This movie has also use of drugs of cocaine and weed smokeing. This movie is for adults only. 18+

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
age 13+

This title has:

Great role models
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (15):
Kids say (20):

"Teachers behaving badly" is a classic comedy premise that often works, but this movie's toxic take on masculinity and logical plot holes ruin the funny. It could have been amusing to have one unhinged teacher threatening another with mild violence. And Ice Cube and Day (whom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia fans know as Charlie Kelly) are charming enough to have carried it off. But Fist Fight goes way, way, waaaaay over the top. Strickland, who early on in the movie destroys a student's wooden desk with an axe before threatening Campbell with it, is a terrifying potential rival who promises that the fight won't end until someone is unconscious. Plus, everyone in the movie seems to view Strickland's challenge to Campbell as some sort of lighthearted test of Campbell's masculinity. He's urged no fewer than six times to "man up" or to not be a "little b---h" or a "p---y" and go ahead and fight the guy (who's twice his size), already.

So there's that sour note, plus an assorted dozen doughnuts of other problems, too. As if a vicious fight wasn't high enough stakes, the confrontation is scheduled to take place at the same time that Campbell's supposed to be doing a school talent show act with his young daughter (on the last day of school? Really?). Spoiler alert: He doesn't make it. Then he does, and the daughter foils her mean-girl bully by performing an expletive-laden song. Wow, the F-word. That'll really make those bullies pay. Then there are non-funny jokes about the school guidance counselor (Jillian Bell), apparently a meth connoisseur who has the hots for the senior boys ... yikes. If only this absurd comedy had a core of sweetness instead of a desire to shock. A few of the jokes do land. But if you have a heart, the meanness makes it harder to laugh.

Movie Details

  • In theaters: February 17, 2017
  • On DVD or streaming: May 30, 2017
  • Cast: Charlie Day, Ice Cube, Tracy Morgan
  • Director: Richie Keen
  • Inclusion Information: Black actors
  • Studio: Warner Bros.
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Run time: 91 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: language throughout, sexual content/nudity and drug material
  • Last updated: March 29, 2023

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate