“Embattled” (**1/2 out of four) was a middling melodrama about a seasoned and crude MMA fighter (Stephen Dorff) who is reunited with his son (Darren Mann) and finds he is his next opponent in the ring and both need to defeat one another to break the cycle of hate and abuse that has run in their family but find that there is a lot more at stake than that. Film has some scattered effective moments but never fully connects emotionally, perhaps because Dorff’s character is so unlikeable and tough to root for and Mann’s character is superficially drawn at best. MMA fight scenes are a definite plus and give this a definite jolt of charge and realism. 2011’s “Warrior” told a similar story with a lot more grit and passion.