Review of Never Back Down (2008) by Ally D — 11 Feb 2010

"In any fight you can always change your position. You just have to find a way.".

At his new high school, Jake Tyler (Sean Harris) is lured into an underground mixed martial arts fight club, where he finds that being the new guy who can throw a punch makes you a target for the alpha male of the group, Ryan McCarthy (Cam Gigandet).

Never Back Down is a movie in the same vein as a myriad of other that are released each year. These movies are generally average films designed to make back their budget, entertain the audience for awhile without them having to think too much and these movies are usually targeted towards the teenage to young adult demographic.

Never Back Down also shows influences from several successful films, Fight Club perhaps being the most prevalent influence. However, where Fight Club focussed on the type of fighting you'd see in the street, Never Back Down has tapped into the growing trend of mixed martial arts.

The young cast fit the movie well. The girls are all attractive and sweet while the guys are good looking and sport six-pack abs. Cam Gigandet's wolfish grin suits his part of the villain well whilst Jake Faris' grim, set face fits with the tortured hero type that he plays. Djimon Hounsou is the most senior of the cast that contributes to the storyline but he's taken an easy role and is phoning it in a bit.

Featuring songs such as 'False Pretense' by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and 'Teenagers' by My Chemical Romance, the soundtrack is fast-paced, catchy and fits in with the 'screw you' tone of the movie.

The directing of the film is, like the film in general, average but adequate, however the director has granted the audience the chance to see the fights being filmed in full detail, a clever move as the martial arts being showcased are impressive.

Overall, Never Back Down is a standard film that will kill an hour and a half of your time if you need something to do.