Never Back Down

The newest teen dramedy has hit theaters. The latest, “Never Back Down,” combines a mixture of… The newest teen dramedy has hit theaters. The latest, “Never Back Down,” combines a mixture of romance, family troubles, high school drama and fast-paced martial arts moves, resulting in an overly ambitious and mediocre final product.

“Never Back Down” Directed by Jeff Wadlow Starring: Sean Faris and Djimon Hounsou

out of

The first scene of “Never Back Down” sets the tone for the rest of the film, opening with a fight on a high school football field, the first of many fights shoved into this two-hour movie.

The film follows Jake Tyler, star football player and notorious fighter, as he moves to Orlando with his mother and younger brother, Charlie.

Jake harbors constant rage, resulting in a distant relationship with his mother and leading to tension-filled relationships with classmates at his new high school. The film capitalizes on the presence of Jake’s anger to fuel physical, as well as verbal, battles with just about everyone in his life.

Jake’s new setting – a high school filled with spoiled rich kids – is the perfect place to build upon his addiction to fighting. The teens at the school fill their spare time by watching and participating in various forms of fighting, and Jake quickly becomes a prized opponent to the school’s most unsympathetic bully.

It isn’t until Jake recognizes the unnecessary boundaries he creates between himself and those closest to him – including his mother, his potential girlfriend, Baja, and his new martial arts instructor – that he finally decides to work on letting go of his rage.

It is only with the help of this new mentor, Jean Roqua (Djimon Hounsou), a mixed martial arts fighting expert, that Jake finally accepts responsibility for his actions.

The film not only pays close attention to fighting but also heavily relies on the high school generation’s reliance on technology to build the storyline.

Information has the ability to travel from just one teenager to thousands in mere seconds with the help of cell phones and a YouTube-esque website. Thanks to this capability, Jake’s notoriety as a skilled fighter quickly becomes known to all the teenagers in Orlando and anyone obsessed with the fighting ring.

Although sufficient acting is upheld throughout, it is not strong enough to raise the over-used angry-teenager storyline. Dialogue often seems forced and awkward, adding humor when it is not necessarily intended.

Going into the film with hopes of a revival of the insanely popular and extremely entertaining “Fight Club” movie of the ’90s, “Never Back Down” is a definite letdown. The film lacks the prior’s intense scenes filled with surprise and excitement that ensured the viewer’s undivided attention.

However, the presence of Oscar-nominee Djimon Hounsou as a role model with a tragic past provides the film with enough star power to draw interest among film viewers. He gives the film its lone moral influence, helping Jake find a peaceful balance in his life by providing personal advice and harmless fighting options.

The camera movements and angles are highly ambitious for such a film and often seem forced. Close-ups are used throughout and are, with the exception of the fight scenes, dizzying and distracting. In these scenes, the close-ups allow the viewer to assume the position of one of the fighters – as the opponent’s fist came barreling toward the camera, gasps could be heard from the audience.

Although the film is able to grab the viewer’s attention during some more emotionally driven scenes, it is not strong enough to sufficiently hold interest.

The overused story and awkward lines secure “Never Back Down” with a spot in the average-teen-film category. Unless you are willing to waste $10 to see a few overly choreographed, bloody fight scenes, steer clear and do back down.