recommended

Memorable, crazy movie

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

It was a great storyline about an issue that has gotten worse. Yet, the girl who was a victim didn't speak to her parents and then expected them to not react or have a say so. Really. Teaching kids that it is okay to be abused/beaten whatever for which NOW today even horrific what they do.

At the risk of being redundant, I have to join the other reviewers here who hated the ending of this film. At least our dismay shows how fully we bought into this story and hated what the 5 Popular Girls did to poor Haley.Kudos to the actors playing the popular girls, who think that "disrespect" means someone "deserves" a beating and who long so much for their flash of Internet fame, the majority of them never do seem to regret making the video that will condemn them. I was especially impressed by the realistic unevenness of them helping Haley into a car after the beating, and one of them giving her a cola. It was a touch that cemented their inability to understand the full gravity of what they'd done. I didn't mind Haley not fighting back when her supposed "friends" turned on her. She was clearly outnumbered, and her bewilderment and helplessness made her all the more sympathetic as a victim (both to the viewer and to the prosecution). She was never a character who would strike out in anger. I even understood her accepting a plea deal, rather than go through the horror of a trial and risk the girls getting life in prison (while I would not have minded seeing them get life, I understand that crimes committed by stupid teenagers perhaps shouldn't ruin their entire lives). When her mother stands up and tells the judge that the family is willing to accept a plea, I was fine with that -- but when she adds that the family is requesting the most lenient possible sentence, I found myself shouting at the television in a Not-So-Good way. There ARE a lot of choices between "life in prison" and "probation with time served," after all. It's one thing to not strike out at people in anger, or to refuse to escalate a violent situation further by fighting back. But the film confuses this often-laudable principle with not demanding justice. Only one of the five attackers ever shows regret or shame for what they did. The others delight in it, and in the fame it brings them. They don't want to go to jail, but to the bitter end they seem to blame Haley for what is happening to them, rather than blaming themselves. We are given no indication that other girls will be safe in the future... and I find that especially dissatisfying.

After seeing this film I thought it was a great concept in showing how nasty the internet can be & how nasty & viscous people can be, especially girls! I found the fighting scene was extremely upsetting, incredibly disturbing & physically sickening! The idea how the parents thought eh girls were just "Playing Around" annoyed me as it clearly wasn't not to mention the whole "All girls fight" petty excuses to make them more innocent than what they were! It served them right! Although I hated the ending! They got lightest punishments because Haley didn't want to think it was vengeance like what they did to her! Although what they did to her was beyond sickening &, in my opinion, would not have been an act of vengeance to give them life! Which is what they damn well deserved & what I certainly would've gave them!Overall, a great film! But an extremely crappy, terrible, obnoxious ending! 8/10

"Girl Fight" turned out to be a good and compelling movie, despite it dealing with a heavy issue as it does. And the fact that the movie is based on true events just adds to the depths of the story. The story is cruel and may not be just suitable for anyone, but I think that it deals with something that should be brought to public notice.The storyline in "Girl Fight" is about Haley (played by Jodelle Ferland) whom is a fairly invisible girl at school, she is viewed as brainy nerd because she was skipped ahead in classes, and she desperately wants to be in with the "cool" girls in school. The chance to become part of the popular circle shows itself and Haley grabs the chance. However, what seemed to be a life in the glamorous track turns out to become a nightmare as Alexa Simmons (played by Tess Atkins) find out that Haley had badmouthed her and her group of girlfriends online before becoming a member in their group. To get back at this, Alexa have the group gang up on Haley and beat her to a bloody pulp. They video this with their camera phones to have it uploaded to a public social video site. Battered and bruised, Hailey end up in the hospital. Haley's mom, Melissa (played by Anne Heche) wants to see the girls who beat up her daughter in prison and does whatever she can to see it done.Storywise, the movie does tell a good story. Good in the sense that it is captivating and well-told, not good in the sense that violence or videos of violence should be condoned. The story does root itself in the psyche and stays with you, especially because the movie is based on something that actually happened. And it just goes to prove the stupidity and absurdity of some people, and also the extremes some people go to when cornered.I am not a man of violence myself, but do enjoy the fictional violence in movies. But this movie sort of had me shocked, because it was appalling to see what some people would stoop to doing to another person just because of some indifference or intolerance. And the whole thing about videoing it to put it on the Internet, well that is just sickening beyond belief."Girl Fight" does build up a good amount of sympathy for Haley and her family, but at the same time it also does a good job at dealing with guilt, blame and forgiveness. The movie just works out well on many different levels and at many different aspects of the story.The people they had cast for the movie were doing a good job. And do remember that this is a fictional movie, actors and actresses portraying fictional characters here, as it is easy to grow to dislike or loathe the ones portraying the 'bad girls' in the movie. I will say that they did good jobs portraying the viciousness of their characters and portraying the cruelty some people possess in their hearts. And of course Jodelle Ferland and Anne Heche were doing good jobs as well. As was James Tupper."Girl Fight" is a brutal movie in a way, but at the same time it is a good movie because it deals with such a heavy issue in a good way. "Girl Fight" is a movie well worth watching, and it does leave you with something to think about. Personally, I didn't find the ending of the movie to be all that satisfying, but then again it is because my own morals didn't go along the leniency and compassion that the family decided to show to those who had so brutally beaten up the daughter. But that is, of course, a matter of preference and moral issues, as we are all different individuals with different morals and values.And on that moral note, I will encourage you to watch "Girl Fight" if you haven't already, because it is a movie that should be brought out to the public.