Never Back Down

The O.C. meets Fight Club in this surprisingly tolerable movie by director Jeff Wadlow. Even after moving to Orlando, Fla., a troubled teenage Tom Cruise lookalike (Sean Faris) can’t escape his guilt over surviving the crash that killed his drunken dad. To add to his worries, the new kid gets a humiliating public pummeling by a cocky and notorious fighting fanatic. With eyes on revenge, the bruised outcast finds a mixed-martial-arts trainer (Djimon Hounsou) to be his Mr. Miyagi. With intense, bone-crushing brawling, energized editing and decent performances, this little movie just might find a big audience.