Never Back Down

Cast:

Jake Tyler has recently moved to Orlando, Florida with his family 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, Jake goes to a party where he is unwittingly pulled into a fight with a bully named Ryan McDonald. 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. 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.

Action/Adventure, Drama and Teen, 1 hr. 53 min, PG-13

ATKBO Review

Jake (Sean Faris) is a star football player for his Iowa High School, but learns he is moving to Orlando with his family. Jake is known as a somewhat hothead and regularly gets in fights due to others mentioning his fathers death (he was killed after drunk driving). In his first day at his new school he shows he is quite smart and catches the eye of Baja. He comes across a fight and tries to stop it due to one of them is beaten to a pulp, but neither the crowd nor the fighters will allow him to.
He later meets up with the guy that was beaten badly who is Max and lets Jake know it was a sanctioned fight and has heard about Jake via the net with regards to his own previous fights at his old school.
The next day, Baja invites him to a party, where he meets up with Max who informs Jake he’s here because he’s the main attraction as it seems his new class mates have also seen his previous exploits. He is introduced to Ryan, Baja’s boyfriend and the host of the party who wants to take on Jake. Jake is reluctant however Ryan edges him on by bringing up Jakes drunk father. Ryan gives him a beat down and despite this Max still believes Jake is a natural fighter but just needs some training so he gets him to meet with his trainer Jean Roqua (Djimon Hounsou), who only has one rule – no fighting outside the gym.
Through training, Jake becomes a much better fighter and during a event he is hassled by a group of goons which he takes acception to and takes care of them. Word about this gets back to Roqua who now refuses to train him, however he eventually allows him back in and the two form a tight bond as they share some personal moments of their past to one another.
Jake now has an extra desire to fight, as he is told of an underground 32 man fighting tournament which Ryan has won twice and will be defending his title.
Will Jake enter the comp?, will Roqua continue to train him? Will he meet Ryan in the comp? Who will win the girl?

Recently newcomer, Sean Faris, does show some acting chops and also abit of skill however like much of these teen orientated movies – the actors are not the vehicle, in this case it’s the Martial Arts form and stunts which are surprising and fresh. Fan and critics favourite Djimon Hounsou lifts the films credibility somewhat, but would be more suited in a mature film. The film is not too short or too long. It’s been the first big budget martial arts flick in a while and one expects a few more to be produced due to the current popularity UFC has amassed however Never Back Down won’t please the hardcore fans.

ATKBO Ratings

• = A Bloody Classic!!!
• = Pretty Bloody Good!
• = Fair
• = Dumb
• = Bloody Awful