Staying in #4 with Fist Fight and Twin Peaks;The Return

Fist Fight

With jobs on the line, and emotions running high at the end of term, it all boils down to the typecast ill tempered Ice Cube to settle his differences with colleague Charlie Day (It’s always sunny in Philadelphia) by challenging him to a fight after school.

That’s it all in a nutshell, but for such a bare bones story it carries as much slapstick comedy and quick fire lines as you can handle.

Add in that the schools pupils are indulging in prank day as the backdrop to the clock ticking on the forthcoming fight, and what is served up is a movie that is reminiscent of National Lampoons Animal House paired with the more modern movies of Adam McKay (Step Brothers, Anchorman).

It not big, nor is it clever, but sometimes there is no real need for it to be.

Fist Fight is simply the tickling of the ribs with blunt fingers and doesn’t pretend to be anything more cerebral than that.

It’s obvious, it’s in your face, and it is funny.

Jillian Bell deserves a mention for her scene stealing role as the most inappropriate teacher that has ever made an appearance on stage or screen. Miss Jean Brodie she is not.

So of you want something challenging this is not what you are looking for, but if you want to kick back and relax and let out a guffaw or two then look no further.

Twin Peaks; The Return.

One episode in and it is as baffling as expected, but maybe too baffling.

What’s going on?

Who knows!

Maybe all the pieces will fall into place as it progresses, or maybe not.

As a fan of the original series I will not be alone in having high expectations, but this is a worrying continuation of the series as it felt like it was trying too hard to challenge the audience.

If the intent of Lynch was to leave everyone discombobulated then someone pat that man on the back.

That’s a job well done.

If on the other hand it was an exercise in laying the groundwork for a story to unfold then it was far too fractured and disjointed to work.

Critics have of course been unwilling to skewer this sacred cow of television with barbed reviews, and when reading their take on the debut it can appear that they are studiously avoiding admitting to the possibility that the emperor has no clothes on, but let’s not pretend that at this moment in time we got a flash of arse and it wasn’t pretty.

Fingers crossed that something as magical as the original series can be revealed over time, but only cross your fingers as holding your breath waiting for the magic might not be the best idea you could have.