Never Back Down (2008) Synopsis:
Set against the action-packed world of Mixed Martial Arts, "Never Back Down" is the story of Jake Tyler, a tough kid who leads with his fists, and, often, with his heart. Jake Tyler, played by Sean Faris, is the new kid in town with a troubled past. He has recently moved to Orlando, Florida with his family who has relocated to support his younger brother's shot at a professional tennis career. Jake was a star athlete on the football team at home, but in this new city he is an outsider with a reputation for being a quick tempered brawler.
Making an attempt to fit in, at the invitation of a flirtatious classmate, Baja (Amber Heard) Jake goes to a party where he is unwittingly pulled into a fight with a bully named Ryan McDonald (Cam Gigandet). While he is defeated and humiliated in the fight, a classmate introduces himself to Jake and tells him about the sport known as Mixed Marshall Arts (MMA). He sees a star in Jake and asks that he meet with his mentor, Jean Roqua, played by Djimon Hounsou ("Blood Diamond," "In America").
It is immediately apparent to Jake that MMA is not street fighting, but rather an art form he wants to master. Roqua will take Jake under his wing, but it is up to Jake to find the patience, discipline, willingness and reason within him to succeed. For Jake, there is much more at stake than mere victory. His decision will not just settle a score; it will define who he is.
Never Back Down (2008) Movie Review:
f you think about what this film is saying, the superficiality is overwhelming. For a movie that calls for nonviolence, its ultimate message is that pounding someone into the ground is good for the soul.
Jake (Faris) is a hothead teen who moves to Orlando with his overworked single mum (Hope) and tennis prodigy brother (Smith). Jake blames himself for the death of his drunken father, so he has an enormous chip on his shoulder, which propels him into various street brawls until he's humiliated by the school's fighting champ (Cigandet). Clashes ensue, and finally Jakes nerdy friend Max (Peters) introduces him to fight master Mr Miyagi - I mean Mr Roqua (Hounsou), who helps him channel his fury. At least until the big Beatdown.
There's a nagging sense that this film wants to have its cake and eat it too, stressing a lesson about learning to control the rage while ultimately saying that intensely violent revenge can sort out any problem. It's a simplistic approach to a serious issue, and the script further sidelines its characters in thinly written roles with carefully constructed back-stories to explain away their personal baggage.
Fortunately the actors are watchable, most notably the super-fit Hounsou, who manages to dredge up dignity and complexity within the Zen master sterotype (Pat Morita never looked this good in boxer-briefs). Gigandet is essentially just a cocky thug, although his strikingly lean look and a subtle touch of self-doubt add interest. Heard does what little she can with the most pointless, thankless role. And Faris makes a magnetic central figure, although you never quite get over the feeling that you're watching a digital mash-up of Brandon Routh and Tom Cruise circa All the Right Moves.
Director Wadlow tries to crank up the energy with lots of now-requisite hand-held camera moves, fast/slow motion and a grinding song score. But he never makes it much more than Fight Club Lite. And he clearly enjoys the punch-out scenes far more than he should. "Sometimes you have to fight" - this is the lesson Jake learns and imparts. And the simplistic finale implies that a good beating puts the world back to rights. Which is pretty reprehensible, really.
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Never Back Down (2008) review written by: Rich Cline
13th October, 2008 
