Never Back Down & other Karate Kid rip-offs

[Foywonder]

Since nobody has posted anything about it I figured I might as well get the thread started since I just posted a full-length Foyeurism dedicated to the schlocktacular NEVER BACK DOWN. If you haven't seen it then you're missing out on quite the cheesefest. Much like the film's martial arts, the screenplay's messages are also quite mixed.

A dramatic recreation of THE KARATE KID reinterpreted as a clash between two warring underwear models ultimately battling it out for what amounts to little more than the YouTube fighting championship of the world (or at least Central Florida), this two-fisted teen angst fight flick could have easily been retitled THE MMA KID to suit 21st century audiences. Though given it comes to us from the director of the faux slasher flick CRY WOLF perhaps CRY UNCLE could have also worked. A moral quandary that wants to revel in sensationalistic PG-13 MMA violence while at the same time trying to preach the opposite (Aren't we all "The Condemned?"), another clear cut case of wanting to have your cake and eat it too; after spending 2/3rds of its running time trying to make-up its mind whether or not it's pro or con in the fighting good/fighting bad department, the writers of NEVER BACK DOWN decided to mix chocolate with peanut butter by stating that sometimes in order to not have to fight someone you have to fight them. Was this supposed to be the Bush Doctrine KARATE KID or what? I suppose there's some logic to the movie's decidedly mixed message somewhere in there. Sometimes fighting is the only way to walk away from a fight: let's see someone put that in a fortune cookie.

You can read the full Foyeurism by CLICKING HERE

I also end up briefly discussing a few other lesser known KARATE KID rip-offs, which got to wondering, what are your favorite (or noteworthy for being really bad) KARATE KID rip-offs? I make no bones about one of my favorite subgenres being KARATE KID rip-offs, so I figured I ask to find out if there's some out there that I haven't seen that I really ought to. 

[WingedSerpent]

The Last Dragon with Bruce Leroy is a good  one

[Justy]

SideKicks!



...with Chuck Norris!

[Neville]

"No retreat, no surrender" is a great one. It has a young dorky kid that keeps attracting bullies, until the ghost of Bruce Lee (who, strangely, doesn't resemble much Bruce Lee) appears to him and trains him in martial arts.

And this is where the movie becomes really weird, as there's this Russian kickboxing champion (played by Jean Calude Van Damme) who wants to conquer the western world by winning amateur kickboxing contests, and it's our hero who needs to save the day.

There's a sequel at least as hysterical as this first instalment, but it has little to do with the "Karate kid" copycats, so I won't comment it.

[Trevor]

Posted by: Neville 

"No retreat, no surrender" is a great one. It has a young dorky kid that keeps attracting bullies, until the ghost of Bruce Lee (who, strangely, doesn't resemble much Bruce Lee) appears to him and trains him in martial arts.

And this is where the movie becomes really weird, as there's this Russian kickboxing champion (played by Jean Calude Van Damme) who wants to conquer the western world by winning amateur kickboxing contests, and it's our hero who needs to save the day.

I actually have that film in my collection, Neville. Weird is not the word for it. my friend. The "actor" who plays Bruce Lee (Kim Tai Chong, I think) knows less about martial arts moves than I do. 

There's a South African film entitled Unfana We Karate (literal translation of The Karate Kid) in which a videogame teaches a kid to beat the seven colours of *&^% out of a bully.