Never Back Down keeps you on the edge of your seat and has not one boring moment; it is a great movie for young adults, both male and female. The main character in this movie is new in town and has to prove he is worthy of being in his new location. He does this by defeating the bad boy in school in a UFC style fight. Although, it does not come easy for him, he trains hard to accomplish his goal. Like every fighting movie, there are a lot of punches being thrown, which should not be seen by younger viewers. In most, if not all movies, there are some romantic scenes. This movie has one particular scene of romance that might not be suitable for younger viewers. This movie does have a few scenes where the characters curse, which isn’t always necessary. I feel this movie could do without the cursing and be just as great. This movie teaches a great lesson, which is the title itself, Never Back Down from your dreams.
Never Back Down
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Bloody fight film has heart, but it's no champion.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 13–15
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Never Back Down was written by S. Jhoanna Robledo
Parents need to know that this action-drama is very much a fight film -- it's filled with brutal, gory scenes of men (and women, too) engaged in physical combat. They punch, kick, and choke each other, and there's plenty of cuts, bruises, and blood. There's also some swearing ("s--t," "bitch") and underage drinking (though viewers don't see actual liquor, the red plastic cups the teens hold are clearly full of alcohol). In many scenes, women and men wear nothing but bikinis and swim trunks, and there's some kissing and a little innuendo.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about why Jake feels compelled to fight. How does his approach to fighting change from the beginning to the end? What lessons does he learn from his mentor? How does he show that he's learned them? Does Jake teach Jean anything? Why are there so many movies about fighting? What's the attraction? How do you know who's the "good" guy and who's the "bad" guy in movies like this? Is that realistic?
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More on Never Back Down
What’s the Story?
After his father dies in a car accident, leaving him saddled with survivor's guilt, high school student Jake Tyler (Sean Faris) is barely able to control his rage. A move from Iowa to Florida with his mother and brother offers him a fresh start, but it's quickly ruined when the school's top brawler, Ryan (Cam Gigandet), baits Jake into an ugly fight that he loses -- miserably. Enter Jean Roqua (Djimon Hounsou), the mixed-martial arts guru whom Jake seeks out for guidance and training. With Jean's help, Jake may be able to tame his inner demons for good.
Is It Any Good?
Fight movies have their place in cinematic history. (Rocky, anyone?) Done right, they manage to capture the humanity in the brutality, the poetry in the punch. But NEVER BACK DOWN doesn't; the cuts are so quick that you can't appreciate any technique. And though, like better sports films, the film does attempt to reveal the internal struggles that fuel the physical ones, it does so with overly broad strokes. There's little nuance or complication and so many fight scenes that when the movie finally gets to the big beat down, it's almost anti-climactic -- it just feels like yet another battle. The movie's also riddled with cliches; there's a supportive girlfriend, a funny sidekick, mantras ("Control the outcome"), and even a race between the mentor and the mentee that's a straight rip-off of Rocky.
Director Jeff Wadlow does manage to drum up some excitement by letting the action unspool with a light touch. The script isn't memorable, but the dialogue is believable, and star Faris is blessed with an easy smile and a likable swagger. And Hounsou, though he delivers a one-note performance, is still fun to watch.
Movie Details
Studio: Summit Entertainment, Director: Jeff Wadlow
Run time: 113 minutes
Theatrical release: 03/14/2008, DVD release: 07/28/2008
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic material involving intense sequences of fighting/violence, some sexuality, partying and language - all involving teens.
Run time: 113 minutes
Theatrical release: 03/14/2008, DVD release: 07/28/2008
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic material involving intense sequences of fighting/violence, some sexuality, partying and language - all involving teens.
Our Members Say
See all 9 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- Negative role models
- My highlights are:
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I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
Bloody Film
I like the movie but there is two girls making out in a hot tub, lots of cussing, and ALOOOOT of fighting. Bloody fighting.
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I rate this title off for age 16 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Nauseating
This movie glorified violence, plain and simple. The lesson to be learned (by teenage boys) was that the guy who delivers the bloodiest beating gets the respect, and the girl. Great message. I watched this movie with a group of about 20 teenage boys and they absolutely loved it. It made me nauseous.
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
it just like karete kid
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
A great movie for all teens!!!
Omg i luved this movie and i didn't think that i would. I went to the theaters with my friends one night and didn't know if it was worth the price, but as i began to watch it totally was. There were some really hot guys and great fighting scenes. There were a couple of swear words but nothing above b--ch and many people have said that two girls make out in a hot tub that is tru but they show a backup shot for like 2 seconds, if youve seen others pg-13 then you have scene it before. the violence wasn't that bad for a fighting movie. all over i'd say 12+. Great movie
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
I loved this movie!!!
If you thought step up was good well let me just sau that was nothing bvest MOVIE EVERRRR!!!!! EVERYONE GO SEE IT.....ITS ABSOLUTLEY AMAZING MOVIE ITS Funny THRILLING AND ALLOT OF ACTION AND HOT GUYS AND HOTT GIRLS!!!! OMGGGGG!!!!!!! IT WAS BEST MOVIE EVER GO SEE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
A Must See For All
I loved it. It's A movie I would like to watch over and over
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
Do teenagers need more negative influences?
Even though this movie does have some redeeming value, I believe it is not appropriate for ages 13-15. It should have been rated R. I do not like the fact that my 13 year old daughter could go buy a ticket and see this "fight-club" movie. This movie contains girls fighting girls, girls fighting boys and boys fighting boys- sometimes to the extreme of sending someone to the hospital or kids passing out. The fight scenes are long and drawn out and the kids watching definately cheer the action on. They all want to see blood. It's sick. Note: there is a scene w/ 2 girls in a hot tub making out with each other. Also, numerous gratuitous shots of girls' breasts in a number of situations. Not a feel-good uplifting film! Definately one for the "boys".
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
BEWARE THE PG-13 RATING!!!
The violence-for-fun mentality of this movie was disturbing and NOT PG-13, the girls kissing in a hot tub covered only in bubbles with boys recording it wasn't PG-13 and the fixing-to-have-sex close-ups of the "teenage girl" lead's cleavage were not PG-13. The physical damage the good guy did to innocent men and not going to prison for it was VERY hard to explain to my son. NOT for children under 17. For adults, it had a pretty decent story. The way they managed to fill us in on the characters' back stories was quite clever and effective. The actors were, to me, unfamiliar and I was quite impressed with them all. All in all, I felt extremely uncomfortable having my 12 year old son, who can normally take just about anything. If you like crunching bones and severe gore for fun, this is the movie for you - not kids!
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| 100% | of parents say it's too violent |
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