| Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown | |
|---|---|
Dvd front cover |
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| Directed by | Michael Jai White |
| Produced by | Craig Baumgarten David Zelon |
| Written by | Chris Hauty |
| Starring | Michael Jai White Dean Geyer Alex Meraz Todd Duffee Scottie Epstein Lyoto Machida |
| Music by | David Wittman |
| Cinematography | Yaron Levi |
| Editing by | Debra Weinfeld |
| Studio | Mandalay Pictures |
| Distributed by | Stage 6 Films |
| Release date(s) | April 8, 2011 (ActionFest) September 13, 2011 (DVD) |
| Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3,000,000[1] |
Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown is a 2011 American action film starring Michael Jai White, Scott Epstein, Dean Geyer, and Jillian Murray. It is a sequel to the first film Never Back Down and was released in August 2011. The film made its world premiere at the ActionFest film festival in Asheville, North Carolina on April 8, 2011. The film was released on DVD on September 13, 2011 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The film marks White's directorial debut.
Contents |
Ex-boxer Zack Gomes (Alex Meraz) visits a doctor after losing a fight and is informed that he can no longer fight due to a partially detached retina. After being informed that if he receives another hit to the head, he may become permanently blind he hears the receptionist in the Doctors office talk about MMA viewing footage of the previous film's final fight. Talented MMA fighter Tim Newhouse (Todd Duffee) struggles to help his family when they are in debt. Former high school wrestler Mike Stokes (Dean Geyer) is the new kid in college and deals with issues involving his father leaving his mother for a man. Bullied comic book store clerk Justin Epstein (Scottie Epstein) is walking when he is run down and cut by bullies. However Justin is saved by Tim and his martial arts master Case Walker (Michael Jai White) who are training nearby.
Mike gets kicked off the college wrestling team for starting a brawl and KOing a teammate who made degrading comments toward him about his father. Afterwards, Mike goes to see Max Cooperman who had previously contacted him about entering the Beatdown. Outside Max's dorm room Mike meets Zack with both taking an instant disliking to each other,when they enter Max's room Max asks to host a trial to see if they've got what it takes to enter the Beatdown.They brawl for a bit and Max tells them that while they are good they need to get better and proceeds to refer them to Case who is described as being a Kyokushin karate blackbelt, a former collegiate Wrestler, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert and years ago was set to become a phenomenon in the MMA world.
They find Case at his home in an old junkyard with a makeshift gym where Tim and Justin are already training, at first reluctant to train either of them he states that he will teach each of them differently and that they must follow what he says without question. A few weeks into training the four boys are visited by Max, they each get into an argument over their reasons for training and deserving to be there more, the worst of it being Justin and Zack hurting each other physically, leaving them to settle it themselves Max goes into Case's trailer and offers him the chance to make some money and at the same time help Max promote the Beatdown. Later on Case is harassed by a cop who threatens him for violating his probation. The cop threatens to arrest him for loitering, which could cause him to go back to jail. The team builds a new gym where they can train and hold the beatdown tournament at. Danger strikes when Justin snaps from constant bullying, goes rogue and decides to not only attack his personal enemies but also attack the group itself by framing their teacher and setting him up to go to jail. The rest of the group finds out what has happened to their teacher and decides to band together and take on Justin at the Beatdown to avenge Case. With each facing their own trials to reach the final match, it comes down to only one of them versus their own. Mike takes down Justin and finally calls his dad to settle their issues. Case gets a call from "Big" John McCarthy and confirms his return to MMA.
Filming started in September 2010 and finished in November 2010.
The film was released on DVD on September 13, 2011 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.