STUDIO: Summit
RELEASE DATE: March 14, 2008
STARRING: Sean Faris, Amber Heard, Cam Gigandet, Evan Peters, Leslie Hope, Wyatt Smith, and Djimon Hounsou
WRITTEN BY: Chris Hauty
DIRECTED BY: Jeff Wadlow
GENRE: Action
RATING: PG-13

Has anyone noticed this trend in recent movie titles? They're getting more in your face, like a sassy diner waitress or an eye-rolling teenage girl. In the past few years, we've been ordered to Step Up, Stick It, Bring It On, Feel the Noise, and, now, Never Back Down. That's a lot to remember the next time you face a crisis in the hall of your local high school, particularly if your alma mater routinely settles disputes with dance-offs and the like. Never Back Down is just the latest in this long line of movies that take a hip trend and turn it into a motivational drama for The Hills crowd. It's "Save the Last Fight Club" or "The MMA Kid" or "The O.C. Me Kick You in the Face." (I could go on and on, but I promised my editor I'd keep it to three.) If you don't know, MMA stands for Mixed Martial Arts, and it's the hottest new ultimate fighting trend since... well, the last one. Combining techniques from several martial arts with street fighting, director Jeff Wadlow has made a slick, fast-paced film for the MTV2 generation. Anyone outside of the world of MMA or older than the target demographic will have some trouble identifying with a film that basically equates fighting with life and death. Never Back Down is far from awful, but it's ultimately ineffective because, like a lot of hardcore fighting fans, it takes itself SO seriously that it's impossible for you to do the same.

Never Back Down tells the story of Jake Tyler (Sean Faris), a tough kid whose father died in a drunk-driving accident while poor Jake was in the passenger seat. His admittedly difficult life has given him a serious anger problem, which has led to a few run-ins with the law and, as the film opens, an all-out brawl on his school’s football field. Jake and his family pick up and move to Florida to give Mr. Tyler a change of scenery and to allow his kid brother to compete on the junior tennis circuit. It turns out that the video of Jake’s football fight blew up on the internet viral-style, so his angry young reputation has followed him to Orlando, and Tyler gets basically forced into the world of street fighting - the idea being that the toughest kid in school wants to beat the hot new thing in town, literally. After an embarrassing incident at a party, Jake meets John Roqua (Djimon Hounsou), who trains him to use fighting appropriately, that is, as a means for peace. Tyler learns from Roqua that one should fight only when they need to protect their loved ones or themselves. Of course, he also learns some kick-ass swing kicks.

Faris has an easy-going screen charisma that fits the role, and he'll probably be a star someday, but director Wadlow and writer Chris Hauty keep Never Back Down from moving beyond the MMA audience. The music video sheen of Never Back Down drains the piece of any ounce of realism, which makes the intense urgency of Hounsou, Faris, and the screenplay feel overblown. The cast play the piece like it's going to change your life, but the music montages and the quick-cut editing keep it constantly at closed-fist, swinging arm's length. Never back down from what? From the school bully? From being yourself? From protecting your friends? I’m really not sure. Never Back Down could have been a nice slice of Karate Kid-esque escapism with a little motivational message thrown in for good measure, but instead, it's ALL motivation, as if learning MMA is as important as CPR when it comes to saving your troubled teen's life. Maybe it will (it probably won’t), but you can't wear your intentions quite so obviously on your sleeve as a filmmaker. Never Back Down is definitely better than a swift kick to the head, but it’s just about as subtle. Next time, let’s tone down the after-school special - we get it... we shouldn’t back down, point taken - and concentrate more on making a good film.