Courtesy Summit Entertainment“Never Back Down” is a teen drama at its soggiest. A flaccid retread of yesterday’s news, chances are, you’ve seen its kind before and have known well enough to stay away. For those still willing to chance it, “Never Back Down” is everything you’d expect out of a genre flick, and less.
Sean Faris stars as Jake Tyler, a teen football star with the tendency to turn loggerhead at the mention of his recently deceased dad. Booted from his Iowa homeland after one such gridiron temper tantrum, Jake makes his way with his kid brother (Wyatt Smith) and shrill mom (Leslie Hope) to the spray-tanned alcoves of Florida’s roughest sector: Orlando.
Once in town, Jake finds that his reputation precedes him. Ostracized from the get-go because of his flannel tees and knowledge of the “Iliad,” his stock begins to rise when video gets out of his raging temper. Before long, Jake’s fending off the overtures of a local ruffian (Cam Gigandet), interested in recruiting him for the school’s junior Fight Club.
“Never Back Down” has two things going for it, and they’re both Cam Gigandet. “The O.C.” cast-off is fun to watch and volatile on screen, a combination which makes for some entertainment. Sure, he’s pulling his best imitation of Tyler Durden, but the guy’s got charisma. If this were his star vehicle instead of Faris’, we might be talking big time.
“Never Back Down” proceeds on a predictable trajectory. Jake rejects Gigandet’s offer and promptly gets pummeled. Rebounding with the help of a nerdy sidekick (Evan Peters), Jake seeks out Orlando’s resident mixed martial arts guru, Jean Roqua (Djimon Hounsou). Despite reservations, Roqua takes Jake under his wing, grooming him for the inevitable rematch with Gigandet.
Fights are the film’s bread and butter, and the guys have more in their arsenal than the old wax-on, wax-off routine. They use MMA, a lethal combination of karate, judo, and other exotic fields of ass kicking, to release their pent up frustrations.
But don’t go getting your hopes up. No matter how hard they hit, or train, or sweat, violence never gets above the PG-13 sect. Both Faris and Gigandet stay pretty for close-ups.
Djimon Hounsou slums it in the Mr. Miyagi role, but he isn’t bad. The actor, whose previous works include “In America” and “Blood Diamond,” has seen the dull side of an Oscar statuette before. Given his decorated past, it’s tough to begrudge the guy the right to an easy payday.
Besides, he’s actually kind of fierce.
Without the merits of its cast, “Never Back Down” reverts back to waterlogged territory. Chris Hauty’s script aims high, yet falls short of the mark. The script wants to hold company with the likes of “Fight Club” as its all male brawling circles can attest, but it lacks the latter’s ferocity and irreverence.
By borrowing clich’eacute;s from “The Karate Kid” school of fortune cookie plot devices, “Never Back Down” has the trappings of a sentimental sports drama. But even there, charm fails to take flight. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, yet often times, the flick feels like bad plagiarism.
“Never Back Down” also works as a butched up version of the recent Touchstone Films release, “Step Up 2: The Streets.”
Director Jeff Wadlow (“Cry Wolf”) duplicates the film’s heavy emphasis on modern fads by allowing pivotal turning points to occur via YouTube and text message. The point is clear, from the fish out of water standard, right down to the rain-soaked finish. It’s assembly line d’eacute;jà vu between the two.
To its credit, the tough guys here are a little easier to buy than they were in “The Streets.”
As companion pieces go, “Never Back Down” fits with “Step Up 2” like a set of his and hers crappy teen movies. Yet as far as fighting flicks are concerned, “Never Back Down” is too derivative to garner any bonafide street cred.
Shayna Murphy can be reached at [email protected].
