High School MMA Fight Club

Rating: 6/10 (8 April 2014)

Jake Tyler (Sean Faris) is an angry young man after the death of his father in a drunk driving incidence. He's a football player that is constantly in trouble. His little brother has to move to Orlando for tennis, and his mother Margot (Leslie Hope) moves the family. His new school has its own MMA fight club run by rich bully Ryan McCarthy (Cam Gigandet). Popular girl Baja Miller (Amber Heard) invites him to a party, but it turns out to be a setup for a fight. He gets crushed. Geeky Max Cooperman (Evan Peters) introduces him to MMA trainer Jean Roqua (Djimon Hounsou).
This is sorta like 'Karate Kid', but not really. It's a bit of 'Fight Club', but it doesn't have the writing skills. The kids are OC wannabes. The setup of the story isn't quite good enough. The bully barely has to push him before punches are thrown. And Hounsou is no Miyagi. At least the bare bones are there underneath. It slavishly follows a certain formula without answering some basic questions. As always the characters need to call the cops. The message is corrupted by the need for the big final fight.