Watch it at Amazon
I'd sum this movie up as Save the Last Dance meets Fight Club, without any of the redeeming values of Fight Club.I saw it at a free screening and if you have a chance to do the same or catch it on cable one day, it's probably at least worth watching. I'd be pretty upset if I actually spent $11-12 on a ticket, though.As a mixed martial arts fan, I think this film (if it's successful at the box office) could probably help set the UFC and other organizations back a couple of years in their emerging mainstream acceptance. It basically makes MMA look like a bunch of rich kids having underground, unsanctioned fights at parties. The fights are filled with illegal strikes to the back of the head and soccer kicks and stomps that are legal in Japan, but not in the US and come off as particularly brutal and bloody in the film. When there are rules at the underground tournament finale, they're virtually the same as UFC 1 (no biting, no eye gouging, no groin strikes).Think Kimbo Slice Youtube videos, but with a couple of dudes who look like younger versions of Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. And drive Hummers.In a way, the whole fighting/revenge plot that thrusts the main character unwillingly into the final showdown could probably be seen as just, almost like Better Off Dead with a fighting showdown instead of skiing. But the film tries repeatedly to market itself as MMA when it's really street brawling with a few arm bars and triangles (and 4 oz gloves... sometimes).I won't get into the story because it's fairly cliché teen movie fare, so there isn't much to get into there anyway. Like I said, if it's free, it's not too long and there is some decent action so might as well. Otherwise, you'll probably want some money back.
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