REVIEWS: Never Back Down

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/arts/story.html?id=d74d253a-aefc-4b00-8971-67988cc29a80

Real erotica here is no-holds-barred fighting
Never Back Down gives mixed messages about youth

Katherine Monk
Canwest News Service

Friday, March 14, 2008

Never Back Down **

Starring: Djimon Hounsou, Sean Faris, Evan Peters and Amber Heard

Directed by: Jeff Wadlow

Parental advisory: Frequent violence

The reviewer reveals her MMA "expertise" when she writes:

"Dubbed "mixed martial arts" by its growing legion of hardcore fans, MMA is a new fad that involves elements of traditional fighting such as boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay-thai, karate, sambo and judo -- but frees the competitor from standardized rules of competition.

In essence, MMA is mano-a-mano combat taken to the most intimate degree, allowing fighters to grab, hug, choke, poke and writhe together for long periods of time without a meddling referee pulling
them apart.

More erotic than Greco-Roman wrestling and far bloodier than plain boxing, it's no wonder MMA has become the pastime of choice among the buff and bored looking for novel ways to assert their manhood."


Give the audience a video camera and see what happens

Chris Knight, National Post Published: Friday, March 14, 2008

NEVER BACK DOWN

http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=375528