Would someone please explain to us why a movie like "Never Back Down" was even made?
The movie, which opens today to scathing reviews, comes with the following page-turner of a synopsis:
Set against the action-packed world of Mixed Martial Arts, Never Back
Down is the story of Jake Tyler, a tough kid who leads with his fists,
and, often, with his heart.
Awww... sounds like the best tearjerker since "Rudy," or possibly "Requiem For A Dream." Wrong! The critics are laughing, laughing all the way...
Imagine if Fight Club impregnated Step Up. Their bastard child would be
Never Back Down.
Never Back Down is a tired, asinine attempt to piggyback on a
fight club subculture...
You have had soup deeper than this film, and a referee should have been
on hand to call foul on the acting.
Fetishised footage of taut, muscular young men grappling with and
pounding on each other. All I could think was, "Oh, go ahead. Back
down. We'll all be happier."
In the future, movies this derivative will be made by robots.
And our favorite:
If you combined The Karate Kid with Fight Club, then threw in a dash of The O.C. and You Got Served then beat it with a stick until it was really stupid, you'd have something twice as smart as Never Back Down.
Even the film's (few) positive reviews are full of red flags:
Here's what I hoped for: someone to root for, someone to root against,
an inspiring coach, some eye candy and, of course, training montages. I
got what I wanted.
Speaking as someone who approached Never Back Down with curiosity and
hope rather than a sense of obligation, I implore you to stay away.
Read the full reviews at Rotten Tomatoes.
