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Martial arts on high-test testosterone

Never Back Down is an ultra-sleek mixed-martial-arts teen drama, an updated Karate Kid, a Fight Club for the viral-video generation. Even though it's as predictable as a pro-wrestling match, what it lacks in originality it makes up for in the nervous energy of youth and testosterone.

    by By Roger Moore, THE ORLANDO SENTINEL | Columnist, Inquirer
    Published 

Never Back Down

is an ultra-sleek mixed-martial-arts teen drama, an updated

Karate Kid,

a

Fight Club

for the viral-video generation. Even though it's as predictable as a pro-wrestling match, what it lacks in originality it makes up for in the nervous energy of youth and testosterone.

The film, shot and set in Orlando, is a straight genre piece adhering to the formula that made Ralph Macchio a star - fatherless kid with anger issues takes a beating, trains with his guru and finds acceptance, peace and revenge, even though he dare not call it that in front of his teacher.

Sean Faris (Reunion, Smallville) is Jake Tyler, an Iowa high school linebacker who channels his violence into football. But say something about his late father and the boy sees red. Video of his on-field meltdown-beatdown of most of an opposing team becomes all the rage on the Internet.

That viral video follows him to a new school as his single mom (Leslie Hope, quite good) relocates the family to help his younger brother Charlie (Wyatt Smith, cute) pursue a tennis scholarship.

Jake's new school is all about the brawl. That means the new kid has a target painted on his back, one that the school's top-brawler, mixed-martial-arts master Ryan (Cam Gigandet) is quick to take aim at. He bullies and baits Jake with the help of the fetching Baja (Amber Heard), and then takes Jake apart in a fight.

Jake, as his nerdy sidekick (Evan Peters) says, has "heart," but no "ground game." Boxing is old school. MMA, with its mix of punching, karate chopping, kicking and judo-dropping, is where it's at. Sidekick Max hauls Jake to the training studio of Jean Roqua (Djimon Hounsou), who teaches conditioning, restraint and winning the mental game of mixed martial arts.

"You control the outcome," he preaches. Will Jake listen? Or course not. He's got to reconcile his feelings for the girl. And he has to get ready for the "Beat Down," a tournament that is this movie's version of the Step Up dance-off (the same company produced both).

The fights are a jumpy, satisfying blur of punches, flips, holds and "tap outs" (the way a losing fighter backs down). That energy spills over into the world outside the ring as we survey a Starbucks-addled kids-with-camcorders culture of McMansions, Beemers, swimming pools and "Girls in bikinis, year round!"

Sure, the message is lost in the martial-arts mix. Parents may shudder at the thought that there really is an MMA underground of kids who shouldn't "try this at home."

But rarely has a junky genre picture come along that felt as overly familiar, yet as "here and now," as Never Back Down.

Never Back Down *** (out of four stars)

Directed by Jeffrey Wadlow. With Sean Faris, Djimon Hounsou, Amber Heard, Cam Gigandet and Evan Peters.

Running time: 1 hour, 53 mins.

Parent's guide: PG-13 (adult themes, intense sequences of fighting/violence, some sexuality, partying and profanity involving teens)

Playing at: area theaters

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    By Roger Moore, THE ORLANDO SENTINEL | Columnist, Inquirer