The trailer teases the matchup by comparing it to other high-profile rivalries, including Ali versus Frazier, 2Pac versus Biggie, and — since this is Warner Bros., after all — Batman versus Superman. Campbell versus Strickland looks much less evenly matched, though. Day’s character is shown desperately soliciting advice from his fellow teachers and even trying to call the police, who just laugh at him.
The trailer owns its absurdity. Ice Cube intimidates while throwing out lines like, “I don’t need to be liked; I need to educate.” On top of that, we see Day being pulled around the school by a horse and Ice Cube running around with an ax in hand.
While the storyline centers around the fight, there are other issues going on as well. With it being the last day of the school year, seniors are pulling pranks, and the administration is bumbling along. There are also budget cuts that put jobs in jeopardy.
The staff at the school and other players in the film are portrayed by a hilarious and talented group of actors. In addition to Day and Ice Cube, the Fist Fight cast includes Jillian Bell, Tracy Morgan, Kumail Nanjiani, Christina Hendricks, Dean Norris, and Dennis Haysbert. They’re directed by Richie Keen, who makes his feature film directorial debut after previously working on TV shows like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and New Girl. The script was written by Van Robichaux and Evan Susser.
Fist Fight swings into theaters on February 17.
