‘Never Back Down’ proves unrealistic, predictable

Every generation needs an inspirational story about an underdog with a heart of gold that wins the greatest prize by moving beyond the odds. “Never Back Down” aimed to fill that role, and the cast and crew didn’t just fail, they failed miserably. Somewhere in the process of creating a film with a noble heart, the makers opted to make money off a bunch of big thrills instead.

Jake Tyler, played by relative newcomer Sean Faris, is a high schooler that can’t control his temper because of past mistakes that haunt him and his family. Therefore, he has to move from Iowa to Florida with his irritated mother and his adorable brother, a blossoming tennis prodigy, to start anew. Jake is unfazed by the glamour of Orlando and only wishes to fade into the background.

That is until he befriends Max, a geeky mixed martial arts enthusiast who wants him to blend in. Jake is vaguely interested and accepts an invitation to a party from a blonde girl named Baja to win her favor. Little does Jake know that Baja has set him up to be cornered by her boyfriend, a blood-thirsty bully and martial arts regional champ, Ryan McCarthy.

Ryan humiliates Jake in front of the school. Max feels sorry for him, eggs him on to get vengeance and accomplishes this by introducing him to his “sensei,” Jean Roqua, played by Djimon Hounsou. After that, the rest is history.

Faris’ portrayal of Jake shows off his physique and his physical skill in a way that’s fun and energetic. All of it has been done before, though, and in much better strides, like Paul Walker’s role in “The Fast and the Furious” or Channing Tatum’s performance in “Step Up.”

Watching Faris isn’t nearly as painful as watching Amber Heard play Baja. Heard’s acting is lacking, and it doesn’t help that the character she plays here is so dull and superficial. It’s a different story with Hounsou and newcomer Cam Gigandet, who plays the evil antagonist Ryan. They offer two different extremes within the world of martial arts or any competitive contact sport. It’s way more interesting to watch either of them with Jake than it is to watch Jake and Baja.

While “Never Back Down” is a fantasy world of big houses, beautiful people and men feeding their egos, it does a good job of making that fantasy world intriguing. It rarely lags in violent scenes. The fights are high quality and are unrealistic enough to rival Mortal Kombat-style fatalities. The only shocking part about the movie, besides its merciless beat downs, is its heart. The hero in Jake tries so hard to not let violence make the most of him, and he wins the sympathy card early on because of it.

“Never Back Down” is still an average film, at its best. It is terribly predictable, formulaic and cliché. Some of the plot developments later on make no sense. The violence, while it is sometimes the most thrilling part of the film, is still very barbaric in nature. The voyeurism of all the school kids is as mature as crowding in a hallway and chanting for a fight. “Never Back Down” is ultimately not worth the ticket price. Those looking for a potential teenage “Fight Club” should wait for the DVD rental instead.

Rating: Two stars out of five.