7 | / 10 |
Users | 3.9 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
Jake (Sean Faris) is the new kid in school. When a beautiful girl (Amber Heard) befriends him, Jake thinks he's set. But instead, her fight-club boyfriend, Ryan (Cam Gigandet), smacks Jake a bloody, black-eyed welcome. Humiliated, Jake then turns to a mixed martial arts (MMA) master (Djimon Hounsou), who teaches him how to fight...and how to walk away. But it becomes obvious that a brutal re-match is inevitable if Jake wants to stop Ryan and his bullying, once and for all.
Starring: Sean Faris, Amber Heard, Cam Gigandet, Evan Peters, Leslie Hope (I)Action | 100% |
Sport | 27% |
Teen | 27% |
Martial arts | 24% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 1.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Sometimes fighting the fight means doing the one thing you don't want to do.
The Karate Kid, a seminal film from the 1980s, is one of the more inspirational movies of
all time. It is memorable entertainment, thanks to a tight script, fine acting, excellent life lessons,
and numerous quotable lines of dialogue flowing from a number of now-famous scenes. It's also
highly imitated, but perhaps never more so than it is in Never Back
Down. The parallels are so close that Never Back Down is half a step away from
complete parody, but the joke is on us for watching. This film wants to be The Karate
Kid of the new millennium badly enough to blatantly rip off practically the entire movie, and
even a few "original" scenes play out with such predictability that I am rather certain that
audiences rolled their eyes and wondered why they wasted their time and money on a movie
that telegraphs its every move.
Any audience familiar with even the gist of The Karate Kid certainly was far ahead of
Never Back Down's unoriginal plot, knowing the film's ending almost before it begins. On
top of that, the characters are wholly transparent and struggle with generic inner
conflicts that serve as the emotional foundation of the story. Each character is trite and
one-dimensional, and we never really care about anything but the fight scenes and
how many more minutes remain before the credits roll.
Get some.
Sporting a fine-looking 1080p, 2.35:1 image, Never Back Down is a gritty movie and the transfer replicates that look well. The rough, saturated appearance of the film translates well to Blu-ray, and grain is prevalent and heavy throughout, so Blu-ray viewers who do not like heavy grain need be forewarned. This film grain feels essential to the movie, capturing the no-holds-barred mentality well. Flesh tones fluctuate from normal to overly red. Again, this seems a result of the highly manipulated color scheme of parts of the film that blend in well with the rough, heavy grain. Colors seem overly pumped in some segments of the movie, normal in others, and desaturated elsewhere. Detail is solid throughout. Close-ups reveal a natural appearance that doesn't mask blemishes. Daytime outdoor shots exhibit nice textures and clarity. When we are first taken to the gym where Jake will train, the building and the cars parked in front of it almost sparkle. Inside, the worn, well-used gym comes to life and we can almost feel the humidity, sweat, and blood that makes it a character all its own. Black levels are generally good, perhaps with just a touch of gray, and minor loss of shadow detail is evident. Never Back Down looks very good on Blu-ray, but newcomers to the film who dislike gritty, grainy pictures need to be prepared for the a rough visual experience.
Never Back Down busts up Blu-ray sound systems with a lively DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack. "Loud" and "bone-crunching" are appropriate terms to use here as the audio is as relentless as the fighters themselves. The opening football scene sounds fairly good, setting the pace for the rest of the film, sonically. Unfortunately, the heavy rainstorm doesn't completely envelop the soundstage. The sound of rain emanates mostly from the front channels. However, the film's boisterous music and heavy hits do pack quite the wallop. The track features some fine discreet sounds all around the listening area. Surround speakers work the hardest during the film's music and fight scenes, and they create only a minor atmosphere during the more mundane scenes. Bass is mostly present during the hard-hitting fight scenes and some of the training montages. By far, the best use of bass comes near the end of the film as Jake arrives at the club for the fight tournament. The feeling of being in an energetic club with deep, low dance beats is palpable and extremely realistic. The scene is so powerful, in fact, I was informed by my wife that a bookshelf in the next room was rattling, almost dropping a globe sitting atop it. Dialogue is crisp and precise, lost under the avalanche of loud music once or twice, but you're not missing anything profound, so crank this one up and enjoy.
Never Back Down arrives on Blu-ray with a fairly interesting supplemental package that
should satisfy both fans of the film and the curious. Director
Jeff
Wadlow presents a brief introduction to the film, describing the extra material that found its way
into this "Extended Beat Down Edition." He also headlines a feature-length
commentary
track that includes actor Sean Faris and writer Chris Hauty. A laid back track, this
group is excited to talk-up the film, dissect it, and enjoy the commentary experience. Mixing
It Up: Bringing MMA
to the Big Screen (480p, 10:15) takes viewers
behind-the-scenes of the fighting techniques in the film. It's based on Mixed Martial Arts (or
MMA), the
foundation for the current craze that is the Ultimate Fighting Championships. The nine week,
ten
hour per day training the actors underwent is put under the microscope, all in the name of
adding
as much realism and dramatic flair to the film as possible.
Blow By Blow: Breaking Down the
Fights is a unique style of commentary track. When a logo appears on-screen and the
viewer presses enter, director Jeff Wadlow, director of photography Lukas Ettlin, and stunt
coordinator Damon Caro provide commentary on the scene, but with a twist. They have the
ability to pause, rewind, and play in slow-motion the scenes they discuss to better analyze the
various stunts and fight techniques seen in the film. Viewers can also access these segments
through the main menu without waiting for them to pop-up on-screen during the movie. There
are nine total scenes that run for a total of 1:04:39, presented in 1080p high definition.
Alternate Angle Fight Mode, like the previous supplement, allows viewers to click an icon
and view the film's fight scenes from several different angles, or compare all three angles
on-screen simultaneously. Likewise, you can also choose to view all seven scenes via the menu
without waiting for the icon to appear on-screen. Eleven deleted scenes (1080p, 13:26) are
next, each with an introduction from the film's director. Finally, Promo Reel (480p,
1:37) is a rough, early trailer for the film.
Never Back Down lacks even one iota of originality in its 113 minute runtime. I urge everyone to skip it and instead watch The Karate Kid either again or for the first time. Superior in every way, you cannot beat the original, but only hope to replicate it, which is what Never Back Down tries to do. It manages to steal almost every theme and plot point from that 1984 classic and meld it into a new movie for a new generation, but the result is disastrous. The Blu-ray edition of the film is far better than the movie it accompanies. With strong video that seems to be true to the intended look of the film, a solid audio track, and some interesting supplements, you won't be disappointed with the quality of the disc should you dare check the movie out. Completely predictable, wholly unoriginal, and never entertaining, Never Back Down is not worth your time on Blu-ray or any other format.
2011
35th Anniversary Limited Edition
1989
2018
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1988
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Theatrical & Director's Cut | Limited Edition
2006
Choice Collection
1989
2017
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2010
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2011
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VHS Collectible Packaging
1984
2017
Special Edition
2004