When a troubled teen switches schools to escape his troubled past, he’s quickly pulled back into a world of conflict by his peers who involve him in an underground fight club.
The film is brought to us by director Jeff Wadlow and writer Chris Hauty. Chris’ modest resume consists of six titles, three of which are a part of the franchise that Never Back Down grew into. His other three films consist of two entries in the Sniper series, and 1996’s Homeward Bound 2: Lost in San Francisco. My man went from talking animals to underground brawls and military operations within a two decade run. Wadlow’s directorial career includes the likes of Cry Wolf, Kick-Ass 2, and Imaginary. His only run in with Never Back Down was the very first installment, which still rates as the best out of the four released so far. Their joint effort resulted in one of my favorite guilty-pleasure films. With Chris’ script and Wadlow’s cinematic approach, the entire testosterone filled endeavor always entertains.
One inescapable flaw comes from the casting. This isn’t to say that anyone half-assed their roles, instead the problem lies within the fact that a bunch of twenty-somethings are supposed to be seen as high-school students. However, this isn’t exclusive to Never Back Down, and has been a hilarious issue throughout cinematic history. Jake is played by Sean Faris, who was 26 at the time. He’s encouraged by his new friend, Max Cooperman. Played by Evan Peters before his X-Men and American Horror Story Days, Max is Jake’s first friend at his new school, and a huge fan of Jake’s fighting history. He does all he can to get Jake to spar with their classmate, Ryan. Played by Cam Gigandet, Ryan is a malicious and sadistic fighter who’s never been humbled by a loss. Jake immediately becomes his target when he catches the eye of Ryan’s girlfriend, Baja. Jake finally has a challenge ahead of him, and finds his opportunity to improve when he’s taken in by an MMA coach played by the fantastic Djimon Hounsou. Together, the cast has charming charisma and skill set that pulls you into a narrative withmore heart than you might expect. Waiting for you at the end of it all is a classic final fight that’s beautifully grounded and feels like a genuinely realistic outcome.
Every fight scene in Never Back Down is a form of art thanks to the efforts of stunt choreographer, Damon Caro. This means you can expect this high-school drama to have the same kind of pulse pounding action seen in his other works like Daredevil, 300 and the Bourne Ultimatum. His approach to the craft was so well executed that, at one point in internet history, a cell phone clip that was captured on set went viral and was mistaken for an actual underground fight. To this day, you can find people in the comments exclaiming, “That’s from Never Back Down!” If that isn’t a testament to how solid the film’s fights are, I don’t know what could be. Combine all of this talent with a soundtrack that feels like it would be at home in a Red Bull sporting event and you’ve got a perfectly balanced movie that captures the angst of the early 2000’s. Often cheesy, occasionally bad-ass, and consistently entertaining, Never Back Down is still a film worth visiting for fans of action and MMA nearly two decades later.
