Never Back Down (2008)

I did not care for the bullying, especially early on in the movie. However, it served as a catalyst and focal point for the main character who needed to learn some restraint and self-discipline. What better tool to help him do this than the mixed martial arts.The guy who played the mentor role was key in helping his protégé become a more skillful and technically sound fighter.This movie is about deciding upon a specific purpose or goal. It's also ultimately about giving and receiving support, that's if you're lucky enough to find the right people. But first, you must believe in yourself no matter how many roadblocks you face. And most of all, Never Back Down, as the film suggests.

I watched part two first, as I didn't have part one at the time, but I managed to stumble across it in the second hand DVD store where I get my movie fix. And now having seen part one, I must say that I am not amused. Part one and two were essentially one and the same movie; an underdog trains for a bit more than a month and progresses to win martial arts competitions against those who have trained their whole lives. Yeah, very plausible.A young college kid named Jake moves to a new location after he was thrown off of the football team for fighting. Here he meets a beautiful girl who turns out to be the girlfriend of the local beatdown champion (what are the odds?). And this spurs an inevitable fight. But with no chance of winning, Jake seeks training at a local gym.The entire movie was one big cliché, and it was so predictable that you have the entire story figured out from the very start.If you have seen part one, then you have essentially also already seen part two, and vice versa. At least there is hope for improvement in the upcoming third movie, as they got Thai action stars Tony Jaa and JeeJa Yanin on the cast list."Never Back Down" is not the brightest moment in the cinema history, but it is entertaining enough for what it is; a mediocre and predictable action movie.

Get some The Karate Kid, add some Bloodsport, mix with Fight Club with a dash of Rocky and you have Never Back Down.Not the most original film but amiable, predictable and silly enough as hotheaded and rebellious Jake Tyler (Sean Farris) who beat up everyone on a football pitch because of a rude comment about his father moves to a new town to help his younger brother play competitive tennis.However in his first day at High School he is lured into a fight by Ryan (Cam Gigandet) who is aware of his exploits in his previous school as they run a not so underground fight club.Jake gets badly beaten up by Ryan and befriends Max (Evan Peters), who introduces him to the world of Mixed Martial Arts run by Jean (Djimon Hounsou) a tough trainer who has a golden rule. No fighting outside of the club. However Ryan keeps on taunting him especially as Jake is going out with ex girlfriend (Amber Heard.)In the climax there is a showdown as both enter a MMA competition. Its a hokey film, Farris looks a lot like a young Tom Cruise without the charisma. Hounsou is the tough trainer with a tender heart (a cross between Mickey from Rocky and Mr Miyagi.) You know that his no fighting rule is going to get breached. The film has a Fast & Furious type beat with the music and is aimed at a younger crowd. The kind that heal quickly from a good beating.

Well, before i start i would say i was a fat guy who never workout and all that, my weight was about 85 kilograms and about 35% of body fat, when i was 15 i watched this movie and it makes me look at life other way, i mean i've been start training hardly for a year and a half now and hell yea the result came of course now i'm 64 kilos and 9% of body fat, my life is pretty much full of training and the first motivation i've gain is this movie, so people who tell you this movie is bad or something else ignore it, when i saw this movie and the first time(i think i watched it about 10 times or even more) i started to some push up and noticed i cant do even 5, and then i saw in the movie how Mike trained hard and so i began trying harder and harder and go to the gym and start working hard, and then i start make my nutrition healthy and from there i just start to grow and get bigger, trust me this movie is a must!