'Never Back Down' holds own in theaters
"Never Back Down" - A Summit Entertainment release. Directed by Jeff Wadlow. Starring Sean Faris, Djimon Hounsou, Cam Gigandet, Amber Heard, Evan Peters, Leslie Hope and Wyatt Smith. Rated PG-13.
"Never Back Down" has been called a combination "Fight Club" and "Karate Kid." On the surface, and when the filmmakers "pitched" the story, that would have been a pretty accurate description.
But, believe it or not, that somewhat shortchanges the film because, whether by design or accident, there is a sincerity to go along with the predictable but well-done story.
Jake Tyler (Faris) is an angry young man that blames himself for the accidental death of his father; he's gotten into one fight after another. Now he has moved to Florida, along with his mother Margot (Hope) and younger brother Charlie (Smith); everyone hopes to start fresh.
Almost immediately, Jake finds himself in a fight with the school's mixed martial arts tough guy, Ryan (Gigandet), and gets beaten badly. With the help of his friend, Max (Peters), Jake ends up in the gym of Jean Roqua (Hounsou), a mixed martial arts master.
Roqua only has one rule: no fighting outside the gym. But when Jake, in another fit of rage, breaks the rule, the young man is left to wonder if he will conquer his rage and deal with Ryan.
It wouldn't be putting Chris Hauty's script down to say originality isn't its strongest suit. But there are a few scenes throughout the film when the fighting takes a backseat to tension in Jake's family, as his mother tries to figure out how to deal with her son, and as Jake tries to find a way to let go of the rage and guilt that is inside.
Hauty also does a pretty good job showing how modern technology is a high school student's best friend, led of course by the Internet and cell phones. Now, to be fair, the audience that turns out to see this film wants action, and the script delivers, complete with a training montage.
Director Wadlow makes sure to hit all the right notes. There's the first fight, when Jake never really has a chance; then the midsection, when Jake, after a tough time, starts to put it together; all leading to the climatic final fight, which certainly delivers the bone-crushing brawling the audience has come to see.
Credit to director of photography Lukas Ettlin, and editors Victor Dubois and Debra Weinfeld capturing the action, bodies and locations, coupled with a pulsating score by Michael Wandmacher.
The young cast is extremely good. Faris easily conveys Jake's battle to control his anger. Gigandet, known to most for his role on television's "The O.C," makes a great villain - cool, controlled, yet prone to snap with devastating power. Both actors are in tremendous shape as is Hounsou, who, with his size and body language, is a powerful presence.
Hope makes the most of her role as Jake's concerned mother who just wants to get through to him and doesn't know how. The lighter moments are provided by Peters, who is more than just the sidekick. Only Heard, as the girl both guys want, has very little chance in an underwritten role.
"Never Back Down" is a teen, B film, but one that has plenty of talent. It has the action audiences want, but a sincerity that carries it.