Review of Never Back Down (2008) by Marvin F — 07 Dec 2010

Never Back Down was maybe the surprise movie of 08 for me. I went into it not exactly expecting much from it. Now to get it out of the way it is basically Karate Kid with a fresh coat of paint on it. But what made me enjoy it was the focus on MMA and how well its transitioned. Also unlike Karate Kid the hero in this case actually seems to be able to hold his own in fight. There was no way Daniel-San should have beat a legit black belt and he should have actually left in a body bag...at least a stretcher. any way onto the Goods.

I love MMA and they paid so much attention on showing the moves and techniques correctly. The story may not have been strong but there are plenty of fights that tell a story without any words being said at all. Especially the end fights which many seem to be overlooked by many. Pacing was just great as there are buildups that make sense. No big fights immediately but a great payoff. The acting by all the leads (Hounsou, Faris and Gigandet) were great and played their characters well.

The bad...the soundtrack, very generic mainstream stuff (Green Day, Gym Class Heroes, and Travis Barker mixes). The script could of used some work although I did love the line "that old school boxing **** doesn't cut it anymore...ya gotta mix it up." A line that speaks volumes. The camera work seems to be amateur at times. Very odd zooms at pan shots and all the acting by supporting cast was just hit or miss mostly on the miss side.

Overall it was a good flick. Lots of fun and although it wont make you run out and join a MMA team it does accomplish its goal of being a flick you can enjoy. Its finally getting looped on TV so if its on I highly recommend it.