Never Back Down (Extended Unrated Beat Down Edition)

Rating PG13 Formats DVD Genre action Starring Sean Faris, Amber Heard, Cam Gigandet, Djimon Hounsou Directed by Jeff Wadlow Publisher Summit Entertainment

The best way to describe Never Back Down would be a pimped-out version of The Karate Kid, with as much bells and whistles a director could muscle.  While there is potential underlying the script, the flashy aesthetics draw attention to themselves to amuse those with a short attention span.  What I can’t stand the way Jeff Wadlow directed this film is that he took he audience for idiots, trying to call attention to a good forty minutes of onscreen fighting.  The true muscle of the film is what happened outside the fighting ring.

The plot takes it cues from a teenager named Jake (Faris), who’s guilt over his father’s death festers an anger that destroys himself and everyone around him.  Through training at a local gym under the watchful eye of a fighing arts master (Hounsou), he learns how to take out his aggression where it belongs.  Jake’s anger is accurate to that of teenage angst, and works powerfully onscreen when triggered at the right moments.  However, certain pieces of the film are way too forced for my taste. His romance with Baja (Heard) happens way too fast with groaningly bad dialogue.  I also had a hard time believing that Baja used to be unpopular, as girls as beautiful as Amber Heard would attract the gaze of any hormone-ridden teenage boy.  Storywise, there is a running theme that everybody has their own personal fight.  When it came time for Jake to confront a bully at the climax, the point was reiterated that the fight was personal and not for spectators.  The impact of the fight would’ve been more emotionally powerful had there been no spectators in order to contrast all other fights throughout the film.  Sadly, the director chose spectacle over personal conflict.

The performances were one-dimensional for the most part.  Faris’s attempt at being an angry teenager didn’t quite work as he seemed more like a college student, both in looks and attitude.  Heard wasn’t given much to do except stand around and look attractive.  The real acting came from the elder generation.  Leslie Hope’s appearance as Jake’s mother is convincing and heartbreaking, as she can never forgive Jake for his father’s death.  Her eyes are tired, and they reflect the will of a woman who lost her ability to make the right choices as a mother.  Djimon Hounsou was a true show stealer. The way he shows compassion to Jake by engaging him a strenuous workout reflects the charm of a modern-day sensei.  At the same time, he is a teddy bear and a gladiator.  

Throughout the film, the camera and sound tried to force an unnecessary style to this film which created distractions.  Random zoom-ins, photoesque freeze frames, and psychedelic light flares strained to please the eyes.  It was as if the director wasn’t confident in his story and decided to make people aware of the camera instead.  Sadly, this film had potential which was ruined by shooting for style over substance.

For the DVD buffs out there, the second disc is loaded with extras, including deleted scenes, commentary, choreography footage, and a documentary.  For a mediocre film, the DVD comes surprisingly loaded.

Never Back Down is a mixed bag.  The potential was there, but the movie just couldn’t quite deliver.  Despite some decent acting talent and a strong character arc, the movie suffocates itself in self-absorption.  For films about fighting that have some flash to them, Fight Club would be a more recommended choice.  For the fighting film about overcoming a weakness, check out the classic The Karate Kid if you haven’t already.  Both films are ten times better than Never Back Down could ever be.