Money Fight

A well made pseudo-documentary with engaging characters and some great fighting sequences.

Director and protagonist James Boss takes us to Seoul, Korea to accompany him while he looks for Colosseum, an underground fight club running in the dark web. So many enticing words 'brutal', 'fight club', 'secret society' are thrown onto the screen but what hooked me as an audience is the moment when James faces the camera and says that he is making this document to show the world what it really means to pursue a dream. All on a sudden I'm not looking at cool, dangerous, looking-for-trouble individuals from a distance. I'm looking at relatable people with dreams and ambitions which might differ in nature but ignite similar feelings in all of us. We are introduced to the other main characters Abel, Pedro and Eric three beginners and under the semi-leadership of James they make a great team as they look after one another, cheer for each other and try to make sure no one is left behind. Seeing these four likable characters training together and bonding over the same experiences was such a joy to watch I already had no problem rooting for them from the very beginning when they booked their first fight to the end. It was also very satisfying to see some of the moves picked up on the training by our heroes being used effectively in the fights.

The movie is well paced. The camera doesn't linger on a serious shot to squeeze an extra layer of emotion out of the viewers or doesn't cut away quickly from an action sequence before our curiosity is satisfied. There's this perfect imperfections and awkward humor carried out in the dialogues which any good documentary-style movie is known for as well as the raw dialogue-delivery. It also has room for short but compelling speeches scattered throughout the movie. One of the inspiring moments comes from an opponent character Sammy when she narrates what makes her keep rising up and keep fighting. All actors managed to give great performances in both dramatic scenes and the action scenes. Speaking of 'Action' - The movie does an amazing job with all its fight sequences. It has no problem showing violent imagery to signify the brutal nature of lawless fights. The shaky cam uncharacteristically doesn't bother. The low light effects and shadowy places also add to the visual storytelling instead of hiding details out of the screen. The stakes rises with each fight as our protagonists has to win from bigger fighters each time with much more to lose.

But the biggest swing this new life took was probably at their souls which goes for any other participator of the secret dark web society. The story takes a depressing turn and that doesn't surface out of nowhere. From the beginning we see how some people only live for the internet. We see fighters over sale themselves to attract bidders. We see some to be at their worst as the dark web allows them to be. We see how far the attention-addicts can go until it's too late for them to return. Eventually it takes a toll on our protagonists externally and internally something they weren't prepared for.

The movie still ends on an inspiring note. It shows that the biggest achievement in any journey is not the destination but the experience we gain and the relationships we build along the way. If we can hold onto them as lifelong treasures we can walk away from any devastating state we got ourselves into in the process.

I'm very much looking forward to the next project James Boss has to offer. If that's anything on the level of Money Fight it will be a great delight.

What sort of person will leave a high-paying job to spend the rest of their time searching the dark web for illegal, underground fights? Well, according to "Money Fight" , ordinary South Koreans will readily leave well-paying jobs to fight in dark alleys as long as it gives them fulfillment. The fighting culture also attracts internationals who will fight tooth-and-nail for money and honor.

However, unlike the clear-cut story-line and high-cut cinematography you find in David Fincher's "Fight Club", the characters do not, in the story-line, display genuine reasons as to why they need to risk broken limbs and broken noses instead of working in tall buildings and earning easier money. In a reality TV-like fashion, the family of fighters introduce themselves and, as if in an interview, jokingly and in high moods explain that they aspire to make a name for themselves in the underground fight world. James Boss' "Money Fight" does not invest enough time, therefore, in giving the viewer a convincing background story as to why young, beautiful white collar-workers should throw away their comfortable life for the "thrill" of bruises and broken teeth. One gets the feeling that there should have been a more solid prize to explain all that enthusiasm from a bunch of amateur fighters. Perhaps a million dollars from an underworld boss who loves to watch amateur fighters destroy each other.

Nonetheless, unlike other hand-to-hand based combat films like "Undisputed" and "Fight Club", James Boss carries the prize for a down-to-earth, realistic and entertaining film that documents the aspirations ,fears and journeys of each fighter. The characters are relatable, and one can perceive the events as if they were happening right in front of their eyes. The fights are more like a knockout compilation from "WorldStar" and are very believable, which makes them even more thrilling. In the modern world where people prefer more realistic content, fans who prefer relatable material over Sci-fi and fantasy will have a good time with this movie. Also, the film takes the audience into a keen view of each of the characters' lives, allowing them to follow the journeys of whichever character they like and to hold their breath in suspense to see if they will indeed win the fights and the money, or get their faces bloodied in humiliation.

I will give it 8/10 for being realistic and for giving me a documentary-like experience on what has sold as a true story to me.

The movie, Money Fight is mainly based on martial arts as the main theme where a group of friends decide to use the sport as a leverage in gaining an income through a boxing club in the dark web. The activities of the club seem illegal hence the reason why it is hidden from the public. The documentary is 1:51:25 long meaning that the viewer needs to be glued and filled with anticipation for them to persevere watching it till the end. This emotion however, is not properly utilized in the scenes. The movie introduction needs to be capturing and exude high tension which will be able to sustain the viewer in watching the movie without getting bored along the way. Reorganization of the story line as well as scenes to create tension about the black web, how illegal it is, consequences that may arise are some of the scenes that should be focused on in the beginning. This will hook the viewer. The ending was properly organized such that it makes the viewer exude the emotion of sympathy for the character in the movie. The scenes show a proper conclusion of the movie although. The perfect audience for the movie is the youth 18-35 years old. The age limit for the movie is persons above age 18 due to the violent nature of the movie. The adrenaline thrill from the boxing scenes would capture the interest of the interest of this age bracket. The investigative scenes on the dark web spark the adventure. Overall, I would rate the movie 7/10. Despite being an amateur film, it has brought out the main theme of the movie. Although coordination and harmony of scenes was a challenge, the audience is still able to follow and enjoy the film.

Not believable mockumentary... The so called fighters can't fight. They can't even throw real looking punches. The fights just don't feel real at all. I dunno much about this underground fight scene but I would bet that they can fight much better then this. This is like some complete amateurs started to train a few months and think they are ready to do some damage against people who actually have real martial arts background. It's just too poorly made in too many ways. Done conditions / planes where they fought don't really make sense neither. Any one who knows how to throw a proper punch or kick will be able to tell that these are fighters. They try using flashy moves to cover up the lack of experience... but to me, it only makes it worse.

I don't understand how so many people can rate this anywhere higher tham a 5.

Awesome!

I ended up loving it. It made me love it.

To start writing, let's look at the plot first. Four friends decide to document their lives as they begin to carve into the street fighting in Dark Web. So ambitious and determined to bear whatever it takes, they're looking to make money in an underground fight club. But as they go inside, they gradually realize that they're being consumed by someone that you cannot exactly put your finger on.

Yeah? I think that premise is excellent. I like to see morale in films, because that's what's real. The first act of the movie shows the determination of the group. To fight, to win, to make money, and most interestingly, to be 'The One'. Sums up their ambition. I personally am a sucker for martial arts, so the film managed keep me hooked all the time. It was interesting to see so many different techniques and approaches in fighting, even among the particular group. Job well done in differentiating that and each characters backstories, giving answers to the wondering of the viewer, "what causes people to come down here?".

One thing that I admire is that the director's intention to make the film look like a documentary. We see the movie in first person perspective, and also the shaky camera comes in handy, pulling the viewer into the screen to have a more realistic experience.

That's one thing you should keep in mind while watching, This is nothing glorious. It's 'Raw'. The approach to filmmaking, the characters, and also the fighting. The fighting isn't high-lifted with added sound effects on each punch, So it feels real.

It is flawed, of course. The acting is a bit off at times, there were moments I thought could've been more subtle, but I'm not sure if I can blame that on the actors. I have never heard about them before, and no info on Internet as well. So, no I don't think so. Nevertheless, the casting is well done to create unique characters to one another. There were one or two times I thought the editing could've been better, but that also can be seen as part the whole thing being 'Raw', so it's alright I guess.

It's not what you think it is, I love the way that the movie forcibly changed my perception towards the movie as it's going. My 'moods' got turned and twisted. That's the thing I probably mostly love about this, I mean at one point I wondered why this was labelled as a thriller, but when I finished the movie there was a definite spark in my spine. And also I enjoyed an underlying sense of friendship beneath the surface. Very nice.

The basic theme I guess is, um, to not only make sure you got control over what you're obsessed with, but to double check it, crosscheck it or any damn way make sure what you're doing, because that world is something that you think you know, but really you don't.

The most flaws I noticed, can be actually dismissed considering that this is a first-time like work for the most of the crew. I'm a guy who's very picky about the films I choose to watch, and I'm actually happy that I watched this film. I'm going to look into the director's future projects, because this Movie's premise attracted me enough to point a man with a vision.