REVIEW

“Never Back Down”

Rating: 7 / 10

Starring

Sean Faris, Cam Gigandet, Djimon Hounsou

The Plot

A troubled teen (Faris) is lured into an underground fight club at his new school, but he meets a mixed martial arts trainer (Hounsou) who helps him control his anger and hone his skills.

The Good

The actors make it hard for viewers to avert their eyes from the screen. With muscular guys lacking shirts, and skinny, large-breasted women in bikinis and heels, “Never Back Down” is a feast for the eyes of either sex.

The leading man, Sean Faris, could easily be a clone of Tom Cruise, except for Faris’ extra height and possession of mental stability. He has an identical scowl and that famous grin for which Cruise is known.

The fight sequences in this film are great; they may not be as dark and dirty as some in David Fincher’s 1999 film “Fight Club,” but they are graphic and well-choreographed, making them more comparable to those in “Blood Sport,” especially since it has mixed martial arts.

Djimon Hounsou makes a phenomenal “Mr. Miyagi”-type as well. It is about time that the omniscient old trainer is portrayed as a younger guy, still in his prime, with problems of his own. It is much more believable and less cheesy. Also, Hounsou proves once again how talented he is at adapting and becoming his character in the film.

The Bad

The trailer for this film ruined any chance it had in the box office. For some odd reason, the marketing for this movie made it look like a mix between a UFC match and “The OC.” Why would anyone pay to see a film with that description?

In one scene, Jake’s (Faris’) friend in the film says to him, “Come on, man, you’ve never Googled yourself before?” which is followed by a montage of cell phone shots, Internet clips and YouTube videos depicting Jake fighting at his old school. Apparently when a new student comes to school, he is “Googled” to determine where he fits in to the popularity food chain. I must have missed this acclimation ritual in my pre-collegiate years.

Also, what was the movie trying to get at? The moral of the film was completely confusing and unclear. At the beginning, a class is discussing “The Iliad” and how Achilles fought for his family and his honor, which seems to be an important value for Jake. However, when he starts training with Hounsou, he is taught that fighting is never the answer, and it is important to control your anger and feelings.

In the end, he disregards Hounsou’s teachings and decides to fight for his friends, family and honor by duking it out with his nemesis in a club parking lot. Lesson learned?

It appears that there is no real lesson or moral to the story other than to “never back down,” whether it involves violence or not, and solve your problems in whatever way you see fit.

The Lowdown

Gorgeous actors with Greek-like physiques fighting in gladiator-style battles with a modern twist is entertaining and a treat for the eyes without a doubt, but with the lack of purpose in the film, the plot is a bit misguided. The only real lesson from this film is to “never back down” from a film just because it has a bad trailer; you may be pleasantly surprised.