Camden New Journal - Movies: Never Back Down

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The Review - AT THE MOVIES with WILLIAM HALL
Published: 3 April 2008

Martial arts master Jean Roqua (Djimon Hounsou) in Never Back Down

Fight flick fails to kick start

NEVER BACK DOWN
Directed byJeff Wadlow
Certificate 12a tbc

WE’RE talking MMA here, and it isn’t a medical condition – although the protagonists certainly have one afterwards.
This is Mixed Martial Arts, an ultra-violent combat sport which combines wrestling, boxing, karate and a few other less-sporting disciplines.
After the death of his father, Jake (Sean Ferris) moves with his mother from Iowa to Orlando, Florida, where he meets sexy bimbo Amber Heard and her sadistic boyfriend Ryan (Cam Gigandet), an expert in MMA, at the local gym.
After Ryan humiliates the newcomer by beating him up in front of his classmates, Jake persuades Yoda-like master Jean (Djimon Hounsou) to teach him the ways of MMA.
No prizes for spotting echoes of The Karate Kid films (1984 and 1986) in the predictable plot-line, in a teenage-driven actioner which we’ve seen done better before, both on the big screen and in TV series like Kung Fu, with David Carradine – remember him as the pupil Grasshopper?
At least Mr Hounsou emerges with authority and dignity, acting all his unruly underlings off the mat – and the screen.

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