I was surprised at how much I liked Never Back Down: Revolt. I did not have high hopes as it has no returning characters from the other films and it also does not focus on conventional MMA tournaments. I was a big fan of the other movies (especially 2 and 3) and was surprised at how entertained I was during this film. I very quickly was rooting for the main characters; the cinematography and direction was unexpectedly good and the plot was very dark and interesting. The sinister main antagonist of the film, Mariah, was played very treacherously by Brooke Johnston and her enforcer, Janek, was played by real life MMA legend Michael Bisping, who looks like he is having the time of his life playing a bad guy. I can understand why viewers would be disappointed with the direction the film took, but I do not understand why so many people seem to hate the film. There isn't much fighting in the middle of the film, however in my opinion the finale more than makes up for that. And I thought the character development was so well done that I did not notice that there wasn't as much fighting as the other films in the series. This film focuses more on the story than the fighting, and that is a welcome change of pace in my opinion. If you expect to get a film full of comedy and fight scenes like the other films in the series, you will certainly be disappointed. However, if you want to see a taut, dark, intense film that deals with complex issues and shows how characters can overcome adversity with the human spirit, you will enjoy Never Back Down: Revolt.
