Never Back Down (2008)

O Masterpiece
O Excellent
X Good
O OK
O Mediocrity
O Avoid

Review by Jason Pyles / March 14, 2008

“Never Back Down” revamps the “The Karate Kid” (1984). The new movie is edgier, but both tell the same story.

A fatherless young man’s life is in disarray, especially after moving across the country. The new kid (Sean Faris) falls for the right girl (Amber Heard), who’s with the wrong guy (Cam Gigandet). The bad-news boyfriend is a martial arts maniac whose aggression is fueled by an even fiercer teacher.

The protagonist doubles as a punching bag until he’s trained by a mysterious sage (Djimon Hounsou) who is a martial arts master. After too many musical montages of unconventional training methods, the conflict culminates at the big tournament at the end of the movie. And somehow, in both films, mutual respect prevails.

Yes, even the hair color of the respective feuding foes correlates. But there’s something in the new, PG-13 movie that wasn’t in the old, PG rendition: two girls making out in a hot tub. We see a riotous high school party where teens are drinking, running around in bikinis and fighting. As the newcomer, Jake Tyler, strolls through the decadent gathering, he encounters the kissing girls. It is surprising (or maybe it isn’t) for a PG-13 movie to linger so long on this scene.

But film scholar Stanley Kauffmann lends understanding in an article he wrote about violence in film called “Blood on the Screen.” He was referring to violence, not sexuality; but Kauffmann’s following observation applies to a Hollywood tendency that has existed since about 1915: “In order to keep the shock shocking, the tap has to be opened as wide as is currently acceptable.”

Amid our climate of political correctness and sensitivity regarding same-gender attraction, the MPAA can easily catalog same-sex kissing under a PG-13 heading, because classifying it as immoral and slapping it with an R rating would be "offensive." … “As wide as is currently acceptable.”

“Never Back Down” is surprisingly engaging. We can identify with the lead character’s mounting frustrations; and before we know it, we’re itching to see him hurt people. Strangely, and perhaps alarmingly, “Never Back Down” ably stirs aggression within us, too, in much the same way rap music does. And though Ryan, the villain, is humorously nefarious, we’d still like to pound on him ourselves. And while this side effect might not be “a good thing,” this ability to affect its audience is what makes “Never Back Down” a good movie.

It may seem old-fashioned or sentimental, but between the two films, “The Karate Kid” is better. By the way, “The Karate Kid” will be shown on AMC on March 20, 22 and 23. Visit amctv.com for more details.

Directed by Jeff Wadlow
Sean Faris / Cam Gigandet / Djimon Hounsou
Action 114 min.
MPAA: PG-13 (for mature thematic material involving intense sequences of fighting/violence, some sexuality, partying and language — all involving teens)

U.S. Release Date: March 14, 2008
Copyright 2008: 259