Director Jeff Wadlow finds a sort of nobility in the subject matter than you might not expect for a film that consists in large part of bloodthirsty mobs clamoring for violence.
Comment
03/14/08
Never Back Down (2008)
24
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:79
Fresh:19
Rotten:60
Average Rating:4.4/10
Consensus: Though not without its pleasures, Never Back Down faithfully adheres to every imaginable fight movie cliché.
Theatrical Release:04-04-2008
Synopsis: Set against the action-packed world of Mixed Martial Arts, Never Back Down is the story of Jake Tyler, a tough kid who leads with his fists, and, often, with his heart. Jake Tyler, played by Sean... [More]
Starring: Sean Faris, Djimon Hounsou, Amber Heard, Cam Gigandet
Director: Jeff Wadlow
Reviews for Never Back Down
Definitely better than a swift kick to the head, but it's just about as subtle.
03/14/08
A pulpy piece of formulaic genre entertainment that couches its nonviolent message in a series of over-the-top, sweaty smack-downs designed to please YouTube's Backyard Brawl Bunch.
03/14/08
If Mystery Science Theater 3000 ever makes a comeback, I’ve got its first movie. A soulless blend of bad action, bad acting and worse writing, Never Back Down is tolerable only if merciless wisecrackers are offering commentary.
03/14/08
The story does have its moments, but for the most part it's a paint-by-the-numbers affair.
03/14/08
Mr. Miyagi would not be pleased.
03/14/08
Remember in the '80s when they used to make all those stupid fight movies? Never Back Down is just like that. I was in the mood for a stupid '80s fight movie where fights happen just because we want to see fights.
03/14/08
Jeff Wadlow directed this exploitation flick, which seems designed for students on spring break.
03/14/08
Tyler does not live on planet Earth, but planet Hollywood formula, where the storm clouds of Fight Club hang over the once charming but now seedy landscape of The Karate Kid.
03/14/08
The movie is just a cheesy, preposterous, semi-eroticized way of yelling, 'Fight! Fight!,' when two people go at it in the school cafeteria.
03/14/08
This film's Achilles' heel is its brain.
03/14/08
With its thin characters and derivative plot, the finished product seems more like a marketing concept than an actual film.
03/14/08
Fetishised footage of taut, muscular young men grappling with and pounding on each other. All I could think was, "Oh, go ahead. Back down. We'll all be happier."
03/14/08
...the plot is practically a remake of The Karate Kid. That may be sufficiently long ago that the target audience of teens won't notice, but it's pretty blatant.
03/14/08
The human body can't do or withstand the things this movie claims it can, and one can only hope that pic's probable success doesn't trigger a dramatic rise in schoolyard body-slams, arm locks and chokeholds.
03/14/08
Top CriticAt its core Never Back Down is just another teen exploitation movie, but middle-age viewers who wander into the theater might get the same giddy rush as the kids.
03/14/08
Top CriticSpeaking as someone who approached Never Back Down with curiosity and hope rather than a sense of obligation, I implore you to stay away.
03/14/08
If you combined The Karate Kid with Fight Club, then threw in a dash of The O.C. and You Got Served then beat it with a stick until it was really stupid, you'd have something twice as smart as Never Back Down.
03/14/08
Gigandet chews up the scenery like he is a gigantic, post-apocalyptic termite bent on destruction.
03/13/08
Director Jeff Wadlow and screenwriter Chris Hauty offer viewers nothing that they can't see done better on Spike TV or one of the ESPN clones.
03/13/08
Latest News for Never Back Down
June 02, 2008:
2008 MTV Movie Awards Winners
Forget to tune into the 17th annual MTV Movie Awards last night? No problem -- here's a list of the evening's winners, including the coveted Best Summer Movie So Far award! More...
May 14, 2008:
Hauty, Wadlow, and Baumgarten Are The Eternals 
The Never Back Down creative team -- writer Chris Hauty, director Jeff Wadlow, and producer Craig Baumgarten -- will reunite for CBS Films' The Eternals, which is being... More...
May 06, 2008:
2008 MTV Movie Award Nominations Announced
It's almost time to hand out some golden popcorn -- the nominations for the 2008 MTV Movie Awards have been announced! More...
April 09, 2008:
UK Box Office Breakdown: Son of Rambow Highest New Entry
In a piece of news almost as heartwarming as the film itself, Son of Rambow came in at second place in the UK box office this week, with the British indie nabbing almost... More...
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