Aicha is of Turkish descent. She and her family live in Copenhagen, Denmark, where they struggle to maintain their Muslim traditions in a 21st century western city. Her strict parents expect her to do well in school and eventually become a doctor, but her talent, as well as her heart, belongs to kung fu. Aicha’s struggle is to not only do what is expected of her and fulfill her family’s wishes, but also be true to herself and fulfill her own destiny.

“Fighter,” from director Natasha Arthy and IFC Films, is a movie about culture, values and empowerment with martial arts serving as the vehicle for Aicha’s journey of self-discovery. It tries to be too many things at once but remains an interesting movie nevertheless. “Fighter” will no doubt be enjoyed by fans of movies about the sport and philosophy of fighting (Jet Li’s “Fearless” for example), underdog stories like “The Karate Kid” or cross-cultural dramas, such as “Bend It Like Beckham.”

It’s actually “Bend It” that this movie most strongly recalls. However, where “Bend It” provided drama while retaining a lot of humor and fun, “Fighter” is darker. I wish “Fighter” was more fun. It’s very indie and tries to be realistic, but suffers from a sort of cinematic schizophrenia. Example: The drama in “Fighter” is shot documentary style (or “Bourne” style) with a shaky cam for an up close and personal effect. Several other scenes are filmed like a music video, with a lot of gloss and fancy camera effects, while the martial arts are filmed “heightened,” like a slick action movie. I can understand there was a directorial purpose for these varying styles, but seeing them all side-by-side in one work makes it look a bit like an experimental film. Consistent photography could have brought it up to the next level.

“Fighter” features great martial arts treated with realism and respect. However, when there is an emotional epiphany or important personal moment, the fighters defy gravity (thanks to some subtle wire-fu) and dramatically soar, strengthening the impact the fight scenes have. The fights offer a touch of magical realism within the movie’s real-world drama. Xian Gao (the good-naturedly inept Bo from “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon“) portrays Aicha’s Sifu and also contributes the martial arts choreography. His fight direction recalls the weightless kung fu screen fights that people love while also staying grounded in the modern day setting. The bamboo forests of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” are replaced by forests of concrete, steel and glass.

I liked this film, particularly the performances (the lead actress is really quite good for her debut) and the kung fu bouts are pretty much amazing, especially the tournament at the end.

What bothered me about the picture?

There are some story problems (gaps in the script jump the story forward awkwardly), pacing issues (it’s just too fast for a slow drama and too slow for a rousing sports/underdog story) and sometimes it’s TOO similar to “Bend It Like Beckham.”

Maybe you’ve seen it on the IFC. I’m not that fortunate–I don’t get that channel anymore. In terms of extras, the DVD is nearly anorexic: a trailer and a brief “making of” feature. But still, not bad at all for my first Danish kung fu movie, and I hope to see the lead actress in more action flicks.