"Never Back Down" Never Steps Up.

If you see Never Back Down, you'll get exactly what you pay for. A by the numbers throwback to '80s fight movies.

Its oh-so-predictable story follows misunderstood-angry-brunet-brawler-with-fatherhood-issues JakeTyler (Sean Faris, who looks and acts eerily like Tom Cruise) who moves to Orlando, where he gets lured into fighting popular-asshole-angry-blond-brawler-with-fatherhood-issues Ryan McDonald (Cam Gigandet, who looks and acts suspiciously like Iceman from Top Gun) by boring-attractive-blonde-popular-girl-who-really-has-a-good-heart-and-brain-on-the-inside Baja (Amber Heard, whose excessively made-up Caucasian features make the name Baja sound like a self parody). After losing badly, Jake undergoes an intensive martial arts training montage under wise-foreign-bald-peaceful-yet-tough-martial-arts-guru-with-fatherhood-issues Jean Roqua (Djimon Hounsou, who probably doesn't need that accent anymore) so that he can eventually take on McDonald in The Tournament (betcha can't guess who wins). Along the way, everyone learns to value peace and shun violence (in a truly impressive display of hypocrisy).

To be fair, there are some good things about it. Cliche as it is, it is well shot and not terribly written, though sometimes the homages to Rocky get a little too obvious. Djimon Hounsou's performance is as good as ever, and the fight choreography is both realistic and exciting. If you're into fight movies and you don't mind checking your brain at the theater entrance, this is a fair distraction.

Smarty Pants Sez: Never see Never Back Down. Not worth the time.

Caveats: If you like fight movies and don't mind a lot of cliche, wait and rent it. Or better yet, rent Rocky IV.