Never Back Down: No Surrender (2016 Video) User Reviews

While the movie has its share of flaws, it's a huge step up from its predecessor

[Brooklynsmagicmike · 6/10 · 17 May 2021]

I avoided this movie for awhile due to the massive and disappointing failure which was Never Back Down 2. Outside of Michael Jai White and them bringing back Evan Peters I found literally zero traits redeeming about it and literally hated the movie.

Back to Never Back Down 3, I actually enjoyed the movie and thought it was worlds better the second one. However with that said, this one was far from perfect.

First outside of Esai Morales who I thought was phenomenal in his role. The acting and dialogue was painfully brutal. Another problem I had with this film is the pacing is extremely inconsitent. Lastly the movie had a lot of subplots that literally added no value and went nowhere.

There were a lot of good redeeming traits though. The action was very good, the visuals were decent for movie on this low of a budget, and it contained just enough emotion to keep the viewer engaged to what was going on and the characters.

I would nevertheless though, only recommend this film to die hard Michael Jai White or mma fans. I can't find the average viewer getting any enjoyment out of this otherwise.

Unless you're the enemy: then back down

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 17 September 2016]

And that is just friendly advice. You do know that villains never think they'll back down. Until they do, then they not only think it, they actually do it. But apart from the obvious and the predictability what else is there? The fight scenes of course and they are pretty well staged. Though that shouldn't be surprising if you have seen Michael Jai Whites previous work before.

Characters try to shine through, but not every beat of the story or of their development works well. It means well, but that doesn't always go down that well. Well enough of that, because most likely you watch this or consider watching this because of the action involved and there you won't be disappointed (unless you expect Tony Jaa ... wait he also is in it. But just in a cameo role! More juice and fight is in the "Chocolate" star, also getting a short appearance in this).

So while I haven't seen the previous Never Back Down, this is based on, you can watch it and still enjoy it too

It's could be better

[badroniaimi-351-922611 · 6/10 · 7 August 2018]

It's a great action movie with some amazing action scenes, but the problem is that feeling of there is acting going on , that wont let you to live the movie, I'm not sure if choosing Josh Barnett to play Brody James was a good choice at all, however the other actors did just fine, Michael Jai White did his magic as usual. The whole idea of never back down always impressed me , cool fight scenes and giving moral to the story the action that's going on, and having a goal to achieve , working hard for it, therefore if you are looking for a good action movie this one will be just fine for you, don't expect much.

Michael Jai White does it again !! Much better than the trailer

[destroyerwod · 14 June 2016]

I enjoyed a lot the first one back then, surprisingly even tough it had an Hollywood cast and was very commercial i loved it. Amber Heard... oh boy... lol. The second one came as a good surprise and i enjoyed it again a damn lot. The character of Case Walker was good but so was the other ones as well.

It was inevitable that the third movie would focus on Case, after all Michael Jai White is a huge name in the martial art style and the story of the kids from the second movie was wrapped up.

So when the trailer drop, i was a bit surprised. I mean it didn't looked as good as i had in mind for the next step in Case Walker story. But after having seen the movie, i do feel the movie is a lot better than the trailer. By a lot. Good action, solid character development, the story is engaging even tough a bit less personal than in previous movies. Non the less Michael Jai White make it work super great. The only thing that people may have a grip with, just like i do, is that the movie lacks a great antagonist. The battle is not personal on that level. I don't want to go into a spoiler review so i will not say more, but lets just say that the focus in clearly on the main characters and there relationship together. He does work very good tough.

In the end i had a ton of fun with that movie, its movies like that i am waiting for and i welcome so much the release once in a while. Its like 90s kickboxing movies goodness but at the same time with better direction, better acting, betting production value as a whole.

I do not know the budget for this movie, but for a direct to DVD (not even blu ray, at least here in Quebec) its damn impressive what they accomplished. Fans of martial art action, give it a shot for sure.

Big payoff for the patient viewer

[lotekguy-1 · 7/10 · 16 June 2020]

This is absolutely a paint-by-numbers martial arts competition flick, and standard fare for fans of its star, Michael Jai White. Or JCVD; or Scott Adkins, et. al. But after you've slogged through the main body of the production, the climactic sequence nets you a big overall win for your temporal investment. That reward begins with a truly unique and amusing cameo as a lead-in to the inevitable Big Fight all the typical character arcs and tepid dialog have been setting up. Often it ain't about what they do, but how they do it. Coffee for the closers.

It's kind of decent

[jordondave-28085 · 6/10 · 15 April 2023]

(2016) Never Back Down: No Surrender ACTION DRAMA

Direct to DVD co-written, directed and starring martial arts aficionado Michael Jai White returning to the role as Case Walker who at the opening by refusing to listen to his trainer of easing on his opponent on the ring while fighting underground. Once his trainer leaves him, he would then agree to help a former friend, Brody (Josh Barnett) train for a fight in Thailand, Bangkok against "Psycho" Caesar Braga (Nathan Jones) for a corrupt promoter of the PFC (Primortal Fighting Championship) named Hugo Braga played by Esai Morales. Muay thai auteur, Tony Jaa has a small cameo appearance as one of the spectators in which the main baddie also starred in one of Tony Jaa's movies called "The Protector" made in 2005.

One of the worst movies iv ever seen

[danidin-94351 · 1/10 · 6 October 2018]

I never wrote a review on here . Just had to open an account to say how bad the acting was, everything was too obvious and you can imagine them just reading the script .

Keep the spirit of 90s martial arts movie

[phanthinga · 8/10 · 2 August 2017]

I still think N.B.D 2 is a fun movie but thank god they get rid of those pretty boys in this one cause Michael Jai White is the only reason why i watch this series and he get to flexing his muscles a lot this time.Get back on track after what happen last time Case Walker played by the talented Michael Jai White find himself in Thailand face off with a gruesome fighter named Braga.The movie is fill with good choreographed fight scene with some very realistic MMA moves and you can't believe Michael doing all that despite the fact that he about to turning 50.The movie is light-hearted with some cheesy moment about friendship but that what these kind of movie about so i enjoy every minute of it and hope one day to see Case Walker vs Yuri Boyka

Finally a mediocre Never Back Down

[jaxmk1 · 5/10 · 18 June 2021]

After 2 tries it is here, a mediocre Never Back Down movie.

The first bad thing is that they are still using fighters as actors, its like they are reading a peace of paper in front of them, there is no emotion in the dialog, is if they are wafting for their turn to talk (read the script) very sad.

The story is better and it has some surprises along the way witch is good.

I know it-s not much of a good thing, but we must remember that the 2 previous movies, never got the average score, and this one finally gets a Friday night if you have no other movies to watch, and trust me that is a good thing for a Never Back Down title!!!

Enjoy!!!

Solid work

[dschlatter · 8/10 · 2 January 2017]

What a nice surprise. Michael Jai White did excellent work. He managed to refrain from unnecessary Hollywood-overkill and instead just told a story that flows nicely and rewards the viewer with some spectacular fight scenes. It's actually a bit understated. A rare thing to find these days. I'll give you an example. During the finale of Hard Target 2 all I could think of was: My God, does the shooting never stop? What could have just been a gritty survivalist martial arts movie, had to be made into an over-the-top action vehicle. But it didn't look like the production crew had the money or experience to pull their ideas off. It just ends up looking disappointing. Thankfully, Michael Jai White had no illusions about his project.

Not everything about this movie was top notch. But it just seemed to work for me. I got exactly what I needed. And maybe you will too. I hope MJW will be involved in many more good projects like this one.

Decent

[slimdave_v1 · 5/10 · 5 December 2021]

I'm glad Case didn't want to train kids again he obviously wants to forget part 2 as much as I do, Not really much to say a relatively simple plot decent action passable acting, get some mates round to watch with a few beers you'll have a good night.

Good martial arts, terrible acting

[rdamian1963 · 4/10 · 26 March 2021]

The storyline is decent. The martial arts is quite good, but the acting?? For half the actors it is non existent. Michael Jai White is in classic form in this movie. For the martial arts movie fan it is entertaining. For the general movie fan not so much.

Jai White with Charisma To Spare..

[A_Different_Drummer · 8/10 · 6 June 2016]

1. Big fan of Michael Jai White, which I made clear in my other reviews, especially Blood and Bone, which is a must-see. Called him "the most under-utilized MMA asset in Hollywood."

2. Guess he got tired of waiting for a phone call, because MJW as "director" cast himself in Never Back Down 2 which, for a low budget effort, was a really tight little indie and seems to have given his career a well-deserved second (third?) wind.

3. At 48 years young, MJW is 15 years younger than Steven Seagal, who keeps cranking out Direct To Video productions that should more correctly be called Direct-to-Forget. Except that MJW looks ten years younger than he actually is, and SS looks ten years older than he actually is.

4. This film, NBD3, is unlike anything MJW has done before and even unlike NBD2. It can be considered MJW's personal version of Rocky. (And of course has virtually no connection to NBD1 other than the name.) The script is slow in spots but contains sly humor one does not usually find in these sorts of films. The fight scenes totally rock and there is a new "trope" that MJW (as director) seems to have invented that involves "forecasting" a fight just before it happens, using slo-mo shot in Black and White. Cool!

5. There are two very strange cameos by Tony Jaa and Rampage Jackson which I am still trying to figure out. Ditto for another walk-on by a female Thai martial artist who looked like she weighs 75 pounds soaking wet. And the "big finish" for the story is taken straight from the playbook in Red Belt, another great (and overlooked) MMA film.

RECOMMENDED (!) as both solid entertainment and something different and unexpected. And please remember to see Blood and Bone and NBD2 if you have not already. Also rec Bronson in 1975's HARD TIMES.

Not the big deal but also not terrible.

[dasa108 · 5/10 · 3 February 2023]

This film is well filmed has a for deficiencies: the personality of the characters is very weak due to the defects of the script and on the other hand it is obviously a rude vehicle for the show of Michael Jai White. The villain (Nathan Jones) is barely presented as a monster unable to have motivation or inclusive dialogue. Everything is simple, everything is simple, everything is Maniqueo. In this sense the film fails. Being a martial arts film, you can't ask to be something from Bergman but at least desirable that has a minimum quality level. The end is an absolute anticlimax. It is a mediocre film with pretensions.

Michael Jai White trains us how to fight perfectly !

[saptesh786 · 8/10 · 15 May 2020]

Good movie with good story, a well climax and a necessary dose to action lovers. White is appointed to train his friend for an big MMA fight with Psycho Caeser. After many dramatic turns finally White fights with Caeser before final ring. The story is so in short, Directed by White. Also acted his girlfriend's role by his real wife Gillian White. A cameo by Tony Jaa at climax at least me cheering up to see him because I am big fan of him from 'Ong Bak". And also fan of White for his perfect and electrified martial arts skill. Here he also gives lessons how to fight and how to train yourself in martial art is a appreciated part of the movie. I like this one. Jeeja Yanin also have a small role to impress us (Lady Tony Jaa in 'Chocolate'). Actually this is second movie which I saw after ' Million Dollar Baby' on focusing in details on how to fight perfectly. Good attempt by White. He must be thankful for this and I am waiting for his such movies in future. Some viewers think this is 80's movie( due to Karate) but those martial arts ( like Karate, Wushu etc.) never loose its charm and will be ever fresh in every period of time till the art of fighting unarmed will live.

Disappointment

[jdwld · 3/10 · 6 August 2019]

Horrible acting. I felt like I was watching a school project one of my highschool classmates quickly put together.

AWESOME MARTIAL ARTS ACTION FLICK! Michael Jai White Deserves His Own Franchise!

[Dark_Lord_Mark · 10/10 · 7 June 2016]

Michael Jai White has been around for a long time. He is a very good actor and an incredible action star and a superb martial artist.

It is frustrating seeing others succeed with less talent such as Samuel L. Jackson who only has one mode; angry. Michael Jai White should have been Nick Fury, or any other action star because of his skills, charisma, and likability.

With that said this movie is fantastic. I liked the first two Never Back Down's but the this one, part 3, Jai White is the real star. This movie seems like a throwback to the 80's martial arts action films that was so prominent. Hollywood is missing those action movies that men love. Sure this is low budget but it is well done. The good guys are likable and the bad guys are not.

The plot is simple and that is fine. Jai White rules as Casey Walker. He is a former fighter is is forced out of retirement, maybe forced is the wrong word, but he comes out and has reasons to fight again. This is a very nicely paced movie that has some good acting and incredible fight sequences. If you enjoyed Undisputed 2 with Jai White, this is right up your alley. If you enjoy action movies, this is your movie. If you even remotely like MMA or martial arts movies, this is a movie for you.

Never Surrender 3 is a must if you love the franchise. This movie is a 10 out of 10! Nice simple plot, good action, well choreographed action, and a good martial arts film. For fans of guy movies this is a must see and I recommend you at least give it a chance if you are on the fence.

Michael Jai White Rules As Casey Walker and is a Proved Star!

Rub this on your bruises tonight

[nogodnomasters · 8/10 · 1 December 2017]

Case Walker (Michael Jai White) is a small time kick boxer trying to keep a low profile. He is recruited by his buddy Brody (Josh Barnett) to train him for a title match in Thailand. Case Walker is old school and has a "disruptive presence." Blah Blah Blah, formula formula formula.

Needless to say the whole film was predictable after the first few minutes, or even by looking at the DVD cover. That is not to say it was bad. Michael Jai White gave us a character to rally around, even though we knew the outcome. The main problem I had was that the lead up fights were better than the climax fight done in slow motion with a lumbering opponent (Nathan Jones) waiting to be hit. That was real lousy shooting and editing on that final battle.

Tony Jaa in a very minor role.

Guide: F-word. Hot Asian nudity.

Absolute 10

[sp4wn3r · 10/10 · 4 July 2019]

Perfect, finally some watchable movie about fighting and martial arts

In Between Very Good and Excellent, Definitely an awesome Jai White Classic

[nims-1975 · 9/10 · 1 April 2018]

Never Back Down: No Surrender is an In Between Very Good and Excellent Michael Jai White Martial Arts film. This film also has an excellent cast, Michael Jai White as Case Walker, Josh Barnett as Brody James, Gillian White as Myca Cruz, Esai Morales as Hugo Vega, Stephen Quadros as Matty Ramos and Nathan Jones as Caesar Braga. This film also has a small appearance by Tony Jaa. The 3rd Never Back Down film, Never Back Down: No Surrender also is a tense Martial Arts Thriller just like the sequel Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown and the fighting and storyline of the film is also much better than the first Never Back Down film. Michael Jai Whites acting as Case Walker was excellent. His character was a very tough, non nonsense fighter who was also very caring and friendly. Josh Barnetts acting as Brody James was also excellent and I also liked his character very much. Gillian Whites acting as Myca Cruz was also excellent. Her character was a very kindhearted, caring, loving and empathetic woman. Esai Morales acting as Hugo Vega was also excellent. His character was a very loud, greedy and manipulative businessman. Stephen Quadroses acting as Matty Ramos was also excellent. His character was also a trainer, who had his misunderstandings of Case Walker but eventually got rid of those misunderstandings and was friendly with Case Walker. Nathan Joneses acting as villain Caesar Braga was also excellent. His character was a psychotic, insane villain. The only thing that I think stopped this film from being an excellent film is that I would have loved to seen a bit more fighting from Josh Barnetts character Brody James. Other than that, this film is awesome and should not be missed.