Movie Title: Never Back Down
Genre: Drama, Martial Arts
Starring: Sean Faris, Amber Heard, Cam Gigandet, Evan Peters, Leslie Hope, Djimon Hounsou
Review: Jake (Sean Faris) moves to Orlando, Fla., with his mother (Leslie Hope) and brother (Wyatt Smith). He feels like an outsider in his new school and frequently lets his temper flare out of control. But Jake wants to fit in, and he decides to go to a party with his classmate Baja (Amber Heard). There, Jake is pushed into a fight and humiliated by incumbent fighting champion, Ryan McCarthy (Cam Gigandet). Another classmate (Evan Peters) sees what happened, and encourages Jake to visit martial arts trainer Jean Roqua (Djimon Hounsou). Never Back Down plays like a modern-day MMA version of The Karate Kid. New kid moves to town, encounters a bully, trains with a wise master of the martial arts, and then boom...redemption. Never Back Down is incredibly cliché and cheesy to the point where you can't help but laugh at its predictability at times. That said, I applaud this movie for its entertainment value. The fight scenes are incredibly well-choreographed and authentic. Djimon Hounsou offers a standout performance as the one particularly interesting character who's motivations are deep and harrowing. This movie is certainly nothing short of goofy, but there's a clear hero and villain, some interesting plot points, and some highly entertaining fight sequences. I should also mention that this movie features an unbelievable soundtrack that fits this type of film like a glove. Never Back Down will never win any awards or have critics singing its praises, but it provided a thoroughly entertaining two hours, and sometimes that's all you really need. Don't take this film too serious, but definitely give it a chance if you're into martial arts films.
Fun Fact: Actor Cam Gigandet, who plays the villain Ryan McCarthy in the movie, has a black belt in Krav Maga in real life.