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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
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Never Back Down
EMAILPRINTSummit Entertainment

Generally unfavorable reviews
Based on 22 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 90 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Action | Drama
Written by:
Chris Hauty
Sean Faris
Directed by: Jeff Wadlow
Release Date:
Theatrical: March 14, 2008
DVD: July 29, 2008
Running Time: 110 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: PG-13 for mature thematic material involving intense sequences of fighting/violence, some sexuality, partying and language - all involving teens
Starring Sean Faris, Djimon Hounsou, Cam Gigandet, Amber Heard, Evan Peters, and Wyatt Smith
Jake Tyler never goes looking for trouble, but it always seems to find him. Since the breakup of his parents' marriage, it's everywhere he turns. Freshly transplanted from a sleepy Iowa town to the heat and flash of new-money Orlando, Florida, Jake seems headed for even more rocky terrain as he is pulled into an underground fighting league--a kind of fight club for teens. With the help of his new group of friends--a fight and life-savvy coach, a free-thinking and adventurous girlfriend, and a scrawny but charming best friend--Jake manages to rise above the chaos around him. But just as he's beginning to feel like he's in control, his world is turned upside down once again by an unrelenting campaign to get him back in the ring. (Summit Entertainment)
Also On Metacritic
FILM: Cry_Wolf
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database View The Trailer Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
TV Guide Maitland McDonagh
Formulaic and derivative, but sufficiently well made to work as both teen-angst melodrama and bone-rattling brawl picture.
Read Full Review >The Hollywood Reporter Stephen Farber
Although the movie set in the hot new arena of mixed martial arts is a bit short on star power, it's energetic and warm-hearted enough to become a word-of-mouth hit.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Wesley Morris
The movie is just a cheesy, preposterous, semi-eroticized way of yelling, "Fight! Fight!," when two people go at it in the school cafeteria.
Read Full Review >Variety John Anderson
Best part, though, is the cast: Everyone's a model, everyone beats each other half to death, and no one looks as if they've ever suffered so much as a coldsore.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Jim Ridley
A modest surprise: better acted than needed, better made than expected.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips
It’s a little “Karate Kid,” a smidge of “Fight Club” (with none of the ironic ambivalence toward violence that David Fincher brought to that story), a lot of “The O.C.” (evil boy Gigandet played an evil boy on that series), and presto: probable hit.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias
Director Jeff Wadlow and screenwriter Chris Hauty are so committed to following through on the "Karate Kid" formula that they don't care for novelty; it's enough for them just to hit their cues and play up the slo-mo MMA brutality. In the future, movies this derivative will be made by robots.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader Andrea Gronvall
Jeff Wadlow directed this exploitation flick, which seems designed for students on spring break.
Read Full Review >ReelViews James Berardinelli
This movie isn't bad just because it follows a formula slavishly but because it does so without verve or passion.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Ruthe Stein
A junior version of "Fight Club," only with no movie stars and different moves.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Joe Neumaier
By the time ever-noble, ever-watchable Djimon Hounsou shows up to teach earnest young Jake honor and roundhouse kicks, the power-rock and smashmouth idiocy become like a fever dream, sweaty and hard to shake off.
Read Full Review >Film Threat Felix Vasques Jr.
About as bland, predictable, and self-important as you’d expect.
Read Full Review >Empire Nick De Semlyen
"The Karate Kid" meets "Fight Club" but it's no way near as good as it sounds.
Read Full Review >The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Jason McBride
At times, the film is more fun than it deserves to be, and it's probably a lot more fun if you're a 13-year-old with an addiction to "Bully: Scholarship Edition."
Read Full Review >The New York Times Jeannette Catsoulis
The movie speeds up and slows down as though controlled by a director in the grip of competing medications. For those who make it to the final beatdown, however, the only pill worth taking is the one that makes you forget.
Read Full Review >New York Post Kyle Smith
A formula flick that should have tapped out in the script stage.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Gregory Kirschling
Movie is dopey. And with its emphasis on stupid violence, xylophone abs, and getting yourself on YouTube, it's yet another product that makes you feel bad about today's youth culture.
Read Full Review >Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker
While too bland and stupid to be offensive, Never Back Down spouts a hollow message of nonviolence while celebrating the brutal satisfaction of beating the crap out of someone.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Desson Thomson
Sitting through this is groan-inducing enough, but it's spiritually depressing to watch Djimon Hounsou, who deserves better.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 7.6 (out of 10) based on 90 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Aj S. gave it a10:
This movie is definitely worth watching. Not only does it succeed on the fact that it wraps together an interesting story in drama and question but it puts the action in the right place. No more of these silly movies where Vin Disiel-like people defeat full armies. Of course we've seen this kind of movie before, but the plot was put together just fine.
antwian f gave it a6:
Bad ass goes to new school, have we been their before. he's old school and tries to develop new school fighting techniques. solid movie. it's been done before though.
Anthony W. gave it a1:
What a stupid, stupid movie. Not only does Never Back Down succeed in giving martial arts an unnecessary reputation for teaching people how to hurt others whenever they want to, the movie encourages people to be violent and shallow. As a sidenote: the only two people I saw in this movie that had any responsibility whatsoever ALSO HAD A JOB.
jacob s. gave it a10:
never back down is one of the best fighting story movie i have ever saw! i will be glad if there would be another one! thanks!
Ben D. gave it a10:
Karate kid meets fight club, it is by far the best film in the world, it is the best movie made by a living person, no one can touch this film it has gr8 standards.
Andrew K. gave it an8:
What made this movie was the decent acting. Everybody fit their roles perfectly so I'll credit there. I always love me some Djimon Hounsou - he's such a great actor! I rated this movie for what it's worth and I'll admit, I did enjoy it. Made me want to get into MMA haha.
Kyle L. gave it a10:
Best movie i have watched in a while i watched it about 25 times already and i cant stop watching it i vote it a ten and the ppl that say the older ppl that vote wont like it are right cuz they don't like thinks we do were teens we wanan see that sh*t.
