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. He sees a star in Jake and asks that he meet with his mentor, Jean Roqua, played by Djimon Hounsou. 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.
This movie is essentially a remake of The Karate Kid. New guy comes to town, likes the town tough guy's girlfriend, gets embarassed by said tough guy, befriends the lovable sidekick, meets a mentor, trains, gets the girl, beats the tough guy, and works through his past demons. I found myself expecting someone to yell "put him in a bodybag, Johnny!" That being said - the movie is definitely watchable. Its formula and the acting beyond horrid, but you end up rooting for the kid no matter what and Djimon Hounsou was a good enough wannabe Mr. Miagi.
I'd lukewarmly reccomend people checking this movie out. Its not a must see by any means and there isn't a single thing that will happen in this movie that you didn't know just from watching the trailer, but it gives you the typical route for the underdog feeling.
