By Catherine Sodano

Channing Tatum has dropped jaws internationally, but not for his newest movie “Fighting,” co-starring Terence Howard and Zulay Henao. With his stunning good lucks, Tatum has won his way to many-a-girl’s heart for his debonair charm and sexsymbol roles he tends to take. “Fighting” is directed by Dito Montiel, who has produced, written and directed the nostalgic “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints,” in which he cast Tatum to co-star in next to Shia LaBeouf and Robert Downey, Jr. Montiel has a great affection for NYC and chose to do a film based there and somehow, through filming this movie “Fighting,” has been able to portray Midtown Manhattan as dangerous once again.

This film tells a tale of a guy just trying to get by, Sean MacArthur (Tatum), and along the way is discovered by manager/trainer/coach Harvey Boarden (Howard). Sean MacArthur was broke and selling knock-off Harry Potter books on the street. During a fight to protect his wares, Harvey noticed him and thrust him into a world of dangerous underground fighting. Harvey books Sean to do these fights and CEO’s, Mafiosos and high- profile people all over the city would put money down to bet on their chosen winner. The odds were against Sean, but being the underdog, winning every fight makes him and Harvey tons of money.

There was minimal romance in “Fighting,” Zulay Henao plays a character based off her real life name, Zulay. Dito Montiel thought her name was intriguing and not easy to forget. Zulay resided with her Hispanic-American grandmother and had one three-year-old daughter in the movie. She worked as a bar-back at the bar where all the fighters and heavy hitters would congregate and socialize. Sean MacArthur was enamored with her throughout the movie, but she was hesitant and didn’t want anything to do with him. His persistence at the end of the movie got the two of them together; but this was a small subset of the script, and she really did not have much of a role alongside Tatum.

For the most part, this movie shows the trials and tribulations that street fighters have to go through and how rich men bet on them as disposable pawns that are worthless. The people involved with this underground business are shady people who had no care or concern for people if they weren’t making money for them. The situations are grimy, everyone had guns; MacArthur was himself displeased and disappointed with his life and the people in it. Almost overnight, Sean becomes a star for his ability to take down professional boxers and martial artist champs, but what he realizes was getting out of the business he was in was going to be the toughest fight of his life.

Tatum steals the show in his sex-symbol stunningness. Don’t fight yourself to go see it: throw in the towel and be wowed.