Never Back Down
| Never Back Down | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Jeff Wadlow |
| Produced by | David Zelon Bill Bannerman Maximiliano Montelongo |
| Written by | Chris Hauty |
| Starring |
Sean Faris Amber Heard Cam Gigandet Evan Peters Leslie Hope Djimon Hounsou |
| Music by | Michael Wandmacher |
| Cinematography | Lukas Ettlin |
| Edited by | Victor Du Bois Debra Weinfeld |
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Production
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| Distributed by | Summit Entertainment |
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Release date
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Running time
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115 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $20 million |
| Box office | $41,627,431 |
Never Back Down is a 2008 martial arts film starring Sean Faris, Amber Heard, Cam Gigandet, and Djimon Hounsou. Released on March 14, 2008, the film is a loose recollection of The Karate Kid...in which Faris and Heard have the Ralph Macchio and Elisabeth Shue roles (respectively), while Hounsou and Gigandet are in Pat Morita's and (respectively) William Zabka's.
The film is rated PG-13 for "mature thematic material involving intense sequences of fighting/violence, some sexuality, partying, and language – all involving teens". An unrated version called the "Extended Beat Down Edition", featuring nudity and more blood, was released on DVD on July 29, 2008.
Jake Tyler (Sean Faris) has recently moved from Iowa to Orlando, Florida with his mother, Margret (Leslie Hope), and younger brother, Charlie (Wyatt Smith), to support Charlie's shot at a professional tennis career. Jake was a star athlete on the football team at home, but in this new city, he is an outsider with a reputation for being a quick tempered brawler after an internet video of him starting a fight at one of his football games after a frustrated player from the opposing team taunted Jake about his father, who died in a drunk driving accident, circulates around his new school.
Making an attempt to fit in, at the invitation of a flirtatious classmate, Baja Miller (Amber Heard), Jake goes to a party where he is unwillingly pulled into a fight with the fighting MMA champion at the school, Ryan McCarthy (Cam Gigandet). Originally, Jake does not wish to fight until Ryan taunts him about his father who died while driving drunk with Jake in the car. Jake is brutally defeated in the fight, causing Jake to feel depressed. But a classmate, Max Cooperman (Evan Peters), who later becomes one of his best friends, introduces himself to Jake and tells him about the sport known as Mixed Martial Arts. He sees a star in Jake and asks that he meet with Jean Roqua (Djimon Hounsou). It is immediately apparent to Jake that MMA is not street fighting, but rather an art form he wants to master. Roqua agrees to take Jake as a pupil, but under the condition that Jake refrains from fighting outside of the gym which Jake agrees to, despite knowing he wishes to confront Ryan anyway. Baja attempts to apologize to Jake, but he does not sympathize with her and refuses to forgive her. Baja then confronts Ryan about the fight with Jake and proceeds to end their relationship when Ryan shows no remorse for the beating he gave him or his sadistic tendencies. Ryan begins to create a scene before the entire school but Jake tries to step in to defend Baja. After Ryan insults him again and leaves, Jake attends training with Roqua. Still angry about the incident, he is unable to calm down and train effectively. Roqua asks Jake to leave so that he could "cool off".
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