Imagine if Fight Club impregnated Step Up. Their bastard child would be Never Back Down.
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03/13/08
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Never Back Down (2008)
24
%
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Reviews Counted:79
Fresh:19
Rotten:60
Average Rating:4.4/10
Consensus: Though not without its pleasures, Never Back Down faithfully adheres to every imaginable fight movie cliché.
Theatrical Release:Mar 14, 2008 Wide
Box Office: $24,767,490
Synopsis: 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... [More]
Starring: Sean Faris, Djimon Hounsou, Amber Heard, Cam Gigandet
Director: Jeff Wadlow
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Reviews for Never Back Down
Never Back Down is a tired, asinine attempt to piggyback on a fight club subculture and it does wonders to make MMA seem like the most idiotic undertaking in recent memory.
03/13/08
You have had soup deeper than this film, and a referee should have been on hand to call foul on the acting.
03/13/08
In lieu of character development we get musical montages, and the film is sliced and diced more than all of Sweeney Todd's victims combined.
03/13/08
Surprisingly, the movie is not terrible. In fact, it's watchable -- if you can stand the sight of people pummeling each other.
03/13/08
In the future, movies this derivative will be made by robots.
03/13/08
... spouts a hollow message of nonviolence while celebrating the brutal satisfaction of beating the crap out of someone.
03/13/08
Never Back Down is teensploitation at its most obvious -- a boneheaded cliche-rama built around six-pack-ab standoffs between preening studs.
03/13/08
Top CriticIs Never Back Down so bad it's good, or just plain bad? Really, it's a little bit of both.
03/13/08
Bruising but brainless teen action-melodrama...like a match that delivers a few good punches but drags on to a dull and predictable end.
03/13/08
Finally, a movie that tells us what to do actually has something to say.
03/13/08
Never see movies that give stupid macho advice in their titles.
03/13/08
Top CriticSeriously, when it comes to filling your soundtrack with whiny, alt-rock ballads, you should highly consider backing down.
03/13/08
The 1980s are alive but not very well in Never Back Down...
03/13/08
High School Fight Club. Discover new star Sean Faris and his homoerotic nemesis Cam Gigandet.
03/12/08
As much as Never Back Down tries to be The Fist and the Furious, it's really just a load of Raging Bullsh*t.
03/12/08
A modest surprise: better acted than needed, better made than expected.
03/11/08
Top CriticThe Karate Kid joins the Fight Club and kicks butt!
03/10/08
The ethical nitwittery of "fight so you don't have to fight again" and invocations of The Iliad in this context brazenly transform a dumb bone-cruncher into a putridly dissembling one.
03/09/08
Yesterday's Fight Club is today's "Combat Club" in this battle of teen six-pack abs.
03/09/08
Latest News for Never Back Down
June 02, 2008:
2008 MTV Movie Awards Winners
Forget to tune into the 17th annual MTV Movie Awards last night? No problem -- here's a list of the evening's winners, including the coveted Best Summer Movie So Far award! More...
May 14, 2008:
Hauty, Wadlow, and Baumgarten Are The Eternals 
The Never Back Down creative team -- writer Chris Hauty, director Jeff Wadlow, and producer Craig Baumgarten -- will reunite for CBS Films' The Eternals, which is being... More...
May 06, 2008:
2008 MTV Movie Award Nominations Announced
It's almost time to hand out some golden popcorn -- the nominations for the 2008 MTV Movie Awards have been announced! More...
April 09, 2008:
UK Box Office Breakdown: Son of Rambow Highest New Entry
In a piece of news almost as heartwarming as the film itself, Son of Rambow came in at second place in the UK box office this week, with the British indie nabbing almost... More...
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