Never Back Down

Wow, there is not one ugly person in all of Orlando, at least that's what this film wants you to believe. Do any high schools or high school students look like this, come on. What I love best is the quote on the back of the box " A little Karate Kid, a little Fight Club and a whole lot of The OC", WHAT? Is that suppose to make me buy it, please find me someone who loves all three of those, ya, no one. OK, so the film is not all bad, Djimon Hounsou is good as always, the look of the film is unique and the fight scenes are pretty darn good. Unfortunately the plot is predictable the characters are one dimensional, there is a girl cause there has to be, right and it attempts to send a message and fails horribly. I think the directors theory is fill the film with fight scenes and loud music montages and then you don't have to have character development or to much of their crappy dialogue. So I guess that helps the film instead of hurting it.

It's interesting how this movie seems to be a watershed for mma. Mixed martial arts really are making the transition from underground, extreme bleeding-edge expressions of combat sport to a mainstream and accepted pastime, and that shows in the commentary about this film. Those who have a clue about mma aren't saying the same things as those who don't.

I have no patience for critics, anyway. They're worse than academics, really, and nothing they say can be trusted. You want to know if a movie sucked? Listen to the people.

This movie didn't suck. Okay, it wasn't Cool Hand Luke, but is that really what you were expecting when you saw the advance poster? It went to great lengths to make a Classical reference from the Iliad significant thematically, and how often does a "teensploitation" flick do that? It even employed a little finesse in some of the on-screen relationships, and in ways that seemed to hold a little verisimilitude, even. If the filmmakers had made Jake Tyler a gay youth fighting for free speech in the school newspapers, the critics would have loved it. All they saw was scary teen violence, so they…well, less than loved it.

Truth is that the movie isn't really glorifying violence; it's glorifying the quotidian, although it does seem to consider violence an acceptable means to an end. If you like mixed martial arts and you're not too delicate to watch stylized violence, rent it when it comes out. If you'd really rather watch 27 Dresses (you know who you are) tell your boyfriend it's chick flick time.

Honestly I don't know the answer. This has been done so many times before. Still I keep watching parts again and again if not the whole movie. My guilty pleasure.

Perhaps my descriptive summary is unkind to this film. I enjoyed it so much because it depicts a young man learning to deal with his emotions, rather than being ruled by his fear of them. It is quite remarkable, the strength of character he ultimately develops, and his interactions with his instructor are gratifyingly free of the childish morality one dreads in such a film, or the typical oriental platitudes that often hallmark them because of the origins of martial arts. At the root of this, I think, is the film's willingness to observe and comment on the 'problem' emotion of anger. Rather than leave it festering, or simply transform it 'as if by magic', the audience can almost see the transformation in the main character, through his physical exertion, which eventually leaves him free of its destructive role in his life. For most, if not all, these reasons, I enjoyed the film because it resonated with me quite closely, but it may not be everyone's cup of tea.

If nothing else, I for one will be researching the possibilities of training in mixed martial arts!

This is one more film with quite good idea. Though, there are a lot similar films that we could bracket in one group with this one. Yet, it has something outstanding. It inspires me in a way. To strive for my life-goals, never back down, no matter how hard it may be, what sort of obstacles are ahead of you.. Maybe that's the real purpose of this film? To inspire one, to be confident and persistent. At least, I was affected in this way. I presume, that this movie is suitable for those, who have a very deep and grim times, who need some sort of wake up call to evoke positive feelings to what's life.. to make one be optimistic again...