Never Back Down
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Metascore
39 out of 100

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 22 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.7 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 110 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
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  • Starring: Djimon Hounsou, Sean Faris
  • Summary: 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)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 22
  3. Negative: 7 out of 22
  1. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    75
    Formulaic and derivative, but sufficiently well made to work as both teen-angst melodrama and bone-rattling brawl picture.
  2. Variety
    Reviewed by: John Anderson
    60
    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.
  3. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Jim Ridley
    60
    A modest surprise: better acted than needed, better made than expected.
  4. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Jason McBride
    38
    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."

See all 22 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 48
  3. Negative: 15 out of 48
  1. MrJakeTyler
    10
    The greatest fighting film ever made. I have no idea how it's only been given 39, its a complete and utter disgrace. This film changed my life, and everyone should see it. A true masterpiece of cinematography.… Expand
  2. AndrewK.
    8
    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.… Expand
  3. JavierT.
    7
    Surprise, surprise; this ain't an oscar contender. But if you go into it looking for something more than a MTV style popcorn flick you're the fool. Yes, its a straight rip of the Karate Kid, but you know what I loved the Karate Kid, the story has been repeated so many times because it works. If you're looking for intellectual stimulation look elsewhere, but if you have a fond nostalgia for Van Damme Bloodsport type flicks this is the one for you.… Expand
  4. ChadS.
    4
    Sport or misdemeanor? Athlete or thug? "Never Back Down" doesn't try to boost the sport of mixed-martial arts, which makes "Never Back Down" somewhat watchable, without ever being particularly good. If you're old school(here's the test: Do you know what OMD stands for?), you'll wonder why nobody calls the cops. Had "Never Back Down" wanted to legitimize the sport, Jake(Sean Faris) and Ryan(Cam Gigandet) would square off in an official tournament. The sport maintains its outsider status, but it does so in the unlikeliest of venues; a high school, which makes "Never Back Down" look like "Fight Club 90210". It's the strangest sight to see all these well-groomed boys and girls cheering on two preppie gladiators in a knock-down-drag-'em-out fight. Amber(Baja Miller) is a freak; all the girls are, in this "Karate Kid(The)" update. They want to see blood. They don't look shy away from pain and suffering like girls used to, say, in 1984, the year of "sweep the leg". I'm pretty sure Ali(Elizabeth Shue) flinched each time Daniel(Ralph Macchio) got hit.… Expand

See all 48 User Reviews

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