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Never Back Down
A Karate Kid ripoff
By
MARK BAZER
|
March 12, 2008
NEVER BACK DOWN
" alt="photo of 'NEVER BACK DOWN'">
1.5
Stars
Never Back Down
A ripoff of
The Karate Kid
, director Jeff Wadlow’s
Never Back Down
differs in one crucial respect: instead of karate, the top activity at high schools these days seems to be beating the shit out of each other. Jake (Sean Faris), a high-school football player from Ohio, moves to decadent Florida after his dad kills himself driving drunk. Jake has father issues; any mention of his dad makes him want to beat the shit out of somebody. But he’s not as good at beating the shit out of somebody as the Rich Douchebag (Cam Gigandet), who has it in for Jake (especially after Jake steals his girl!) and who has father issues. So Jake starts training, with the help of a Foreigner (Djimon Hounsou), who has father issues. The Foreigner teaches Jake that fighting for revenge accomplishes nothing. But then everybody realizes that this is silly and that Jake better get his butt over to the Beatdown to settle things once and for all. You’ll root for Jake. You will!
110 minutes | Boston Common + Fenway + Fresh Pond + Circle + suburbs
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