Movie Review: Never Back Down

All Jake wants to do is forget the problems he encountered back home. Forgive and forget doesn’t come easy when this new face meets up with hot babe Baja Miller. From that point onward our incoming senior’s life becomes a bit more eventful as he gains entry into the local social scene where members have a rather unique way of having fun.
By now everyone has heard of dangerous road racing as popularized in such films as The Fast and The Furious. Never Back Down ups the ante considerably as the “kids” in this affluent city engage in after hours brawls that take quite the toll on all contenders. Somehow Jake gets embroiled in this form of rivalry as he locks horns with local kingpin Ryan McCarthy, a spoiled rich kid who delights in beating any challengers to a pulp.
Full of violence and bravado Never Back Down nevertheless is somewhat of a guilty pressure. Front man Jake Tyler can’t seem to make up his mind as to whether to be a fighter or to embark on more peaceful resolutions of any conflicts in the making. Too bad for Jake the local mind set of these young adults is anything but friendly. Peer pressure in this rich region idolizes these fights and the fame it brings to the victors.
Sean Farris (Pearl Harbor) is terrific as the new kid on the block who just wants to live a normal, harmonious life. Out to make a point and take Jake down is the mercurial Ryan McCarthy, all fists and flash, well presented by Cam Gigandet in a truly mesmerizing performance of pure evil.