Never Back Down Release Date: March 14, 2008 Studio: Summit Entertainment Director: Jeff Wadlow Screenwriter: Chris Hauty Starring: Sean Faris, Djimon Hounsou, Cam Gigandet, Amber Heard, Evan
Peters, Wyatt Smith Genre: Action, Drama, Sports MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for mature thematic material involving intense
sequences of fighting/violence, some sexuality, partying and language - all
involving teens) Official Website:
NeverBackDownthemovie.com
Plot Summary:
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 Faris, is the
new kid in town with a troubled past. He has recently moved to Orlando, Florida
with his family who has relocated to support his younger brother's shot at a
professional tennis career. Jake was a star athlete on the football team at
home, but in this new city he is an outsider with a reputation for being a quick
tempered brawler.
Making an attempt to fit in, at the invitation of a flirtatious classmate, Baja
(Amber Heard) Jake goes to a party where he is unwittingly pulled into a fight
with a bully named Ryan McCarthy (Cam Gigandet). While he is defeated and
humiliated in the fight, a classmate introduces himself to Jake and tells him
about the sport known as Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). He sees a star in Jake and
asks that he meet with his mentor, Jean Roqua, played by Djimon Hounsou ("Blood
Diamond," "In America").
It is immediately apparent to Jake that MMA is not street fighting, but rather
an art form he wants to master. Roqua will take Jake under his wing, but it is
up to Jake to find the patience, discipline, willingness and reason within him
to succeed. For Jake, there is much more at stake than mere victory. His
decision will not just settle a score; it will define who he is
EN 5 Second Review:
Preteen Pablum, we wont be wasting money seeing it, but
our 14 year old daughter cant wait.
Better
than it needs to be Jim Ridley: Village Voice
A modest surprise: better acted than needed, better made
than expected...more
All
Brawn, No Brains Colin Covert: Minneapolis
Star-Tribune
You have had soup deeper than this film, and a referee
should have been on hand to call foul on the acting...more
EN 5 Second Review:
Preteen Pablum, we wont be wasting money seeing it, but
our 14 year old daughter cant wait.
Better
than it needs to be