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Recent releases:
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Never Back Down
Stars: Sean Faris, Cam Gigandet, Amber Heard, Leslie Hope, Djimon Hounsou, Evan Peters, Wyatt Smith, Affion Crockett, Neil Brown Jr, Lauren Leech, David Zelon
Director: Jeff Wadlow
Standard situations and dialogue gems like I dont want to be angry any more and Doing nothing has consequences too, makes it pretty clear that this seen-it-all-before saga of bullied high schooler Faris (think a taller Tom Cruise) who finally avenges himself on his ruthless oppressor Gigandet proudly boasts just about every cliche you could expect. Theres Faris need to come to terms with the death of his father and with having been relocated with his mother and younger brother to Florida. Theres the duplicitous dame (Heard) who eventually switches allegiance from villain to hero and theres the funny sidekick (Evans). And, in the best tradition of The Karate Kid (the film is like the illegitimate offspring of that film and Fight Club), theres Faris wise MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) mentor Hounsou, always ready to offer a well-honed aphorism for every situation but with troubles of his own.
The story is familiar enough and the performances workmanlike at best (but then Chris Hautys soggy screenplay doesnt deserve anything more than average acting), so whats left?
Simply a load of brawls in which the anything-and-everything-goes, mano a mano action (apart from eye gouging, youll be relieved to hear) is stunningly staged and edited (Victor Du Bois, Debra Weinfeld) for maximum visceral effect. If only the preview cinema had been equipped with a fast-forward button. But since producer David Zelon (who also plays Faris' father in flashbacks) trained in the Krav Maga Israeli arts system for two years, I dont think Ill say anything more.
Alan Frank
USA 2008. UK Distributor: Momentum Pictures. Colour.
113 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 15.
Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 1, Drugs 0, Swearing 2.
Review date: 02 Apr 2008