Review of Never Back Down (2008) by Dave J — 22 Jul 2012

Friday, July 20, 2012.

(2008) Never Back Down.

ACTION DRAMA.

This film may work for first time movie watchers who don't come across nor watch much fighting done in films but to others, it's nothing but a 'self indulgent' cliche ridden piece of mess. Simplistic storyline is like something that is made up from a 15 year has Jake (Sean Faris) continuing to grieve over his father as a result of something he blames himself for resulting him to move city to city frequently because of many fights and suspensions he got from several schools. He turns psycho whenever his father is being brought up verbally and that his fights are always on viral. Then the real story happen at it's latest stop, somewhere in Orlando, where he comes across freelance fighting happening around the school, he gets invited to a party where he eventually meets his match, and of course the movie centers on him succeeding on beating this guy at his own game. They're planty of one line 'lectures' spoken throughout which is similar to what one can always make up at home, and the training was one of the least inspiring I had ever saw. Even badly dubbed 'chop sockey' movie fights are better since the actors did and showed more moves even though some stunt or acrobat person were used. And by the time it reached the end, I stopped caring about everything I had seen so far or how he was able to defeat him since the fights look so fake, whereas if you looked very closely they neither pant nor bleed very much whenever several punches are landed at them. If anyone were to watch MMA and then were to watch this manipulative cheesy storyline, may encourage anyone to break their tv sets instead since it's far from being inspirational.

1/2 out of 4.