Never Back Down is a 2008 action film starring
Sean FarisSean Hardy Faris is an American model and actor. He is well known for his roles as Jake Tyler in Never Back Down, Kyo Kusanagi in The King of Fighters, and Rick Penning in Forever Strong.-Life and career:...
,
Amber HeardAmber Laura Heard is an American actress and model. She played the lead and title character in All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006. Heard's first starring role came in 2007 on the CW television show Hidden Palms...
,
Cam GigandetCam Joslin Gigandet is an American actor, whose roles have included Twilight, The O.C., Never Back Down, The Roommate, Burlesque and Priest.- Career :...
, and
Djimon HounsouDjimon Diaw Hounsou is a Beninese actor and model. As an actor, Hounsou has been nominated for two Academy Awards.-Early life:Djimon Hounsou was born in Cotonou, Benin, in 1964, to lbertine and Pierre Hounsou, a cook. He emigrated to Lyon in France at the age of thirteen with his brother, Edmond....
. It was theatrically released on March 14, 2008. The film's respective tagline is "Win or lose... Everyone has their fight."
The film is rated PG-13 for "mature thematic material involving intense sequences of fighting/violence, some sexuality, partying, and language - all involving teens".
Plot
Jake Tyler (
Sean FarisSean Hardy Faris is an American model and actor. He is well known for his roles as Jake Tyler in Never Back Down, Kyo Kusanagi in The King of Fighters, and Rick Penning in Forever Strong.-Life and career:...
) has recently moved from
IowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
to
Orlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
with his mom, Margot (
Leslie HopeLeslie Ann Hope is a Canadian actress, best known for her role as Teri Bauer in the Fox show 24 where she played the wife of the main character Jack Bauer.-Life and career:...
), 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 a video of him on the Internet starting a fight in a football game, because one of his opponents made a rash comment about Jake's dead father, circulates around his new school.
Making an attempt to fit in, at the invitation of a flirtatious classmate, Baja Miller (
Amber HeardAmber Laura Heard is an American actress and model. She played the lead and title character in All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006. Heard's first starring role came in 2007 on the CW television show Hidden Palms...
), Jake goes to a party where he is unwillingly pulled into a fight with the fighting champion at the school, Ryan McCarthy (
Cam GigandetCam Joslin Gigandet is an American actor, whose roles have included Twilight, The O.C., Never Back Down, The Roommate, Burlesque and Priest.- Career :...
). 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 defeated in the fight, but a classmate, Max Cooperman (
Evan PetersEvan Peters is an American actor, best known for his roles as Tate Langdon in American Horror Story, Jesse Varon in the ABC TV series Invasion and as Cooper Day in The Days, also on ABC. He also had a recurring role in Disney Channel's show Phil of the Future as Phil's geeky friend Seth...
), who later becomes one of his best friends introduces himself to Jake and tells him about the sport known as
Mixed Martial ArtsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
. He sees a star in Jake and asks that he meet with his mentor, Jean Roqua (
Djimon HounsouDjimon Diaw Hounsou is a Beninese actor and model. As an actor, Hounsou has been nominated for two Academy Awards.-Early life:Djimon Hounsou was born in Cotonou, Benin, in 1964, to lbertine and Pierre Hounsou, a cook. He emigrated to Lyon in France at the age of thirteen with his brother, Edmond....
). 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 of Jake being unable to fight outside of the gym which Jake agrees to, though 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 then proceeds to end their relationship. Ryan begins to create a scene before the entire school but Jake steps in to defend Baja. After Ryan insults him again and leaves, Jake attends training with Roqua while still angry about the incident; Roqua asks Jake to leave to "cool off".
After he and Max leave the gym Jake gets into a brawl with a group of guys in a Hummer whom Jake easily disposes of while Max films. This video again circulates around the school raising Jake's social status but in the process only annoying Ryan. Ryan then proceeds to challenge Jake to compete in the Beatdown, an underground fighting tournament of which Ryan is the reigning champion. After having been banished from the gym by Roqua after his fight is discovered, Jake begs for forgiveness saying his anger is quelled when he is training with Roqua. Roqua agrees to allow Jake to train at his gym again, but does not take it easy on him anymore. He then prepares to compete in the Beatdown. Jake apologizes to Baja for not listening when she first apologized and the two proceed to begin a relationship. While training with Roqua, Jake inquires why he lives in the gym. Jake discovers that Roqua is from
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and he is in
exileExile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
because he believes he is the reason his brother, Joseph the favorite son, was killed and his father had disowned him for this.
After being informed that Jake has decided not to compete in the Beatdown, Ryan invites Max to hang out at his house; there he begins to
sparSparring is a form of training common to many martial arts. Although the precise form varies, it is essentially relatively 'free-form' fighting, with enough rules, customs, or agreements to make injuries unlikely...
with Max before brutally assaulting him and leaving him at Jake's door. Jake and Baja take Max to the hospital where Jake decides to fight and when Baja begs him not to, he states that doing nothing has consequences. Before he goes to the tournament, he has a brief argument with Roqua about his decision to fight. Roqua eventually assents and tells him to "control the outcome" of the fight. Jake arrives at the tournament where it is about to begin. After a mix-up where Jake and Ryan almost fight in the first round, they both proceed to make their way through each leg. Jake makes it to the semifinals but was injured in the previous match after taking a kick to the ribs. While Jake is recovering after the match, Baja sees him and tells him that she finally understands that Jake is fighting "so he doesn't have to fight again". After learning that Ryan was disqualified in his semifinal match Jake forfeits seeing no reason to continue. While he and Baja attempt to leave, Ryan confronts him and the two finally fight outside in the parking lot. Jake is still limited by his ribs, and Ryan at first gains the upper hand, applying a choke on Jake. However, Jake escapes, and, with the entire crowd watching, knocks out Ryan using one of the first combinations Roqua taught him.
The next day, a visibly injured Max has been released from the hospital. Jake has won the respect of his fellow students, including Ryan, and Roqua closes the gym with a ticket to Brazil, signaling his intention to reconcile with his father.
Cast
- Sean Faris
Sean Hardy Faris is an American model and actor. He is well known for his roles as Jake Tyler in Never Back Down, Kyo Kusanagi in The King of Fighters, and Rick Penning in Forever Strong.-Life and career:...
as Jake Tyler
- Djimon Hounsou
Djimon Diaw Hounsou is a Beninese actor and model. As an actor, Hounsou has been nominated for two Academy Awards.-Early life:Djimon Hounsou was born in Cotonou, Benin, in 1964, to lbertine and Pierre Hounsou, a cook. He emigrated to Lyon in France at the age of thirteen with his brother, Edmond....
as Jean Roqua
- Amber Heard
Amber Laura Heard is an American actress and model. She played the lead and title character in All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006. Heard's first starring role came in 2007 on the CW television show Hidden Palms...
as Baja Miller
- Cam Gigandet
Cam Joslin Gigandet is an American actor, whose roles have included Twilight, The O.C., Never Back Down, The Roommate, Burlesque and Priest.- Career :...
as Ryan McCarthy
- Evan Peters
Evan Peters is an American actor, best known for his roles as Tate Langdon in American Horror Story, Jesse Varon in the ABC TV series Invasion and as Cooper Day in The Days, also on ABC. He also had a recurring role in Disney Channel's show Phil of the Future as Phil's geeky friend Seth...
as Max Cooperman
- Leslie Hope
Leslie Ann Hope is a Canadian actress, best known for her role as Teri Bauer in the Fox show 24 where she played the wife of the main character Jack Bauer.-Life and career:...
as Margot Tyler
- Wyatt Smith as Charlie Tyler
- Drew Sidora
Drew Sidora Jordan , better known by her stage name Drew Sidora, is an American actress and singer known for her recurring role as Chantel in the Disney Channel Original Series That's So Raven, and as Lucy Avila in the 2006 movie Step Up...
as Tiffany West
- Tilky Jones
Tilky Montgomery Jones is an American singer and actor. He was a member of the band Take 5 from 1997–2001. Perhaps he is known for playing Max on the CW television series One Tree Hill.- Biography and career:...
as Eric
- Zach Myers
Zach Myers was born in 1983 in Memphis, Tennessee. He founded and is currently the lead singer and guitarist for the rock band The Fairwell...
as Jeff
Production
Filming took place entirely in south
OrlandoOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
,
SanfordSanford is a city in, and the county seat of, Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 38,291 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 50,998...
and
Clermont, FloridaClermont is a city in Lake County, Florida, United States, west of Orlando. The population was 13,100 in 2008. The city is essentially residential in character and its economy is centered in retail trade, lodging, and food and beverage establishments, which are tourism oriented. The historic...
. All school scenes were shot at
Cypress Creek High SchoolCypress Creek High School is located in south Orlando, Florida and serves students in grades 9 through 12.Cypress Creek is an IB World School with an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program...
except the football scene in the beginning of the film, it was shot at
East Ridge High SchoolEast Ridge High School is a school in Clermont, Florida and one of seven public high schools in Lake County. East Ridge is the largest school in Lake County...
. The original title was "
Get Some", but that title had sexual connotations that the producers didn't like so it was decided to change the title to "
Never Back Down".
Screenwriter
Chris Hauty-Filmography:*Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco *Never Back Down *Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown Hauty was also one of many writers who worked on Cowboys & Aliens.-External links:...
wrote the film when his son showed him videos of various school fights posted on
YouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, as well as one that occurred in his school.
Box office
Never Back Down debuted in 2,729 theaters at #3 with $8,603,195 in the opening weekend. After 2 weeks in cinemas, it garnered $18,890,093; and after one month the movie earned $37,676,991 worldwide.
The film closed on June 5, 2008 after 84 days at the North American box office with $41,627,431 worldwide against a budget of $20 million.
Critical response
The film has received generally negative reviews;
Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gives the film a score of 23% based on 84 reviews.
Home media
The DVD was released on July 29, 2008 and has so far sold 990,405 units, bringing in $18,495,324 in revenue. This does not include Blu-ray sales.
Sequel
A
sequelA sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
entitled
Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown was released with actors
Evan PetersEvan Peters is an American actor, best known for his roles as Tate Langdon in American Horror Story, Jesse Varon in the ABC TV series Invasion and as Cooper Day in The Days, also on ABC. He also had a recurring role in Disney Channel's show Phil of the Future as Phil's geeky friend Seth...
,
Alex MerazAlejandro "Alex" Meraz is an American dancer, actor and martial artist. Meraz played the werewolf named Paul in the film New Moon, the sequel to 2008's Twilight.-Life and career:...
and
Jillian MurrayJillian Leigh Murray is an American Actress. She perhaps best known for her role as Portlyn on Sonny With a Chance and as Heather in An American Carol .-Life and career:...
,
MMAMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
fighter Scott Epstein, and Australian actor-singer
Dean GeyerDean Stanley Geyer is an Australian Singer-Songwriter and Actor who came third in the 2006 season of the talent show television series, Australian Idol.-Early life:...
appearing in the film, with actor
Michael Jai WhiteMichael Jai White is an American actor and martial artist who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is the first African American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture, having starred as Al Simmons, the protagonist in the 1997 film Spawn...
starring and making his directorial debut. It was released in August 2011.
Soundtrack
- "Above and Below" - The Bravery
The Bravery is an American rock band from New York City that consists of Sam Endicott , Michael Zakarin , John Conway , Mike Hindert , and Anthony Burulcich...
- "Anthem for the Underdog
-Bonus tracks:All songs written and composed by Paul McCoy and Justin Rimer# "Once in a Lifetime" – 3:51 # "It Was You" – 3:28 -Singles:#"Lie To Me"#"Adrenaline"#"Anthem For The Underdog"...
" - 12 Stones12 Stones is a rock band that was formed in 2000 in Mandeville, Louisiana. They have collectively sold more than 2 million records.-History:The four band members met in Mandeville, Louisiana, a small suburb north of New Orleans, and within 15 months were signed to a record deal with Wind-up Records...
- "Teenagers
"Teenagers" is the fourth single and the eleventh track from My Chemical Romance's third studio album, The Black Parade. It is the third U.S. single from the album, but it is the fourth single released in the UK, the Philippines, Australia and Canada...
" - My Chemical RomanceMy Chemical Romance is an American alternative rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way and have a diverse sound incorporating elements of punk, emo, glam metal, and progressive rock...
- "Someday
"Someday" is the debut hit single by the band Flipsyde and was also the theme song for NBC's coverage of the 2006 Winter Olympic Games. It was chosen for the games because the lyrics focus on courage and perseverance toward future goals even though success may seem impossible...
" - FlipsydeFlipsyde is a rap/R&B/rock band from Oakland, California. Flipsyde consists of singer/guitarist Steve Knight, guitarist Dave Lopez, rapper Jinho "the Piper" Ferreira, and for a short while Chantelle Paige. They have toured extensively with Fort Minor, The Black Eyed Peas, Snoop Dogg and on the...
- "Wolf Like Me
"Wolf Like Me" is the first single from the TV on the Radio album Return to Cookie Mountain, released in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2006 on 4AD Records. The single's B-side was the song "Things You Can Do", which was also available as a bonus track on the U.S. release of Return to Cookie...
" - TV on the RadioTV on the Radio is an American art rock band formed in 2001 in Brooklyn, New York, whose music spans numerous diverse genres, from post-punk to electro and free jazz to soul music....
- "Under the Knife" - Rise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it...
- "Time Won't Let Me Go
"Time Won't Let Me Go" is a song by American alternative rock band The Bravery and is featured on their second album The Sun and the Moon. The song was also released as the first single from that album on March 27, 2007, in the United States . In the United Kingdom, the song was released as a...
" - The BraveryThe Bravery is an American rock band from New York City that consists of Sam Endicott , Michael Zakarin , John Conway , Mike Hindert , and Anthony Burulcich...
- "Rock Star" - Chamillionaire
Hakeem Seriki , better known by his stage name Chamillionaire, is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Chamillitary Entertainment. Chamillionaire is also the founder and an original member of The Color Changin' Click...
& Lil WayneDwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
- "Be Safe" - The Cribs
The Cribs are an English three-piece indie rock band from Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The band consists of twins Gary and Ryan Jarman and their younger brother Ross Jarman. They were subsequently joined by ex-The Smiths and Modest Mouse guitarist Johnny Marr who was made a formal member of the group...
- "Headstrong
"Headstrong" is the debut single from the band Trapt and the lead single from their self-titled debut album. It reached #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts and #16 on the U.S. pop chart, as well as #1 on the singles recurrent charts...
" - TraptTrapt is an American rock band that formed in Los Gatos, California in August 1997. The group is composed of lead singer Chris Taylor Brown, lead guitarist Robb Torres, bass guitarist Peter Charell, and drummer Aaron "Monty" Montgomery...
- "False Pretense" - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is an American rock band that formed in Middleburg, Florida.-Early years :Originating in Florida, childhood friends Ronnie Winter, Thomas Amason, and Duke Kitchens started the band while attending an AP music theory class, in 2003...
- "Orange Marmalade" - Mellowdrone
-Biography:Mellowdrone consists of founding member Jonathan Bates, Tony Dematteo, and Brian Borg. The band's music encompasses a range of styles from lo-fi, indie rock and experimental. Mellowdrone's music has appeared on several television shows, including Project Runway, Six Feet Under, and Cane....
- "You Are Mine" - Mutemath
- "Stronger
"Stronger" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released as the second single from his third studio album Graduation. It was produced by West and contains an extended outro co-produced with Mike Dean...
" - Kanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
- "Crank That (Travis Barker Rock Remix)
"Crank That " is the debut single by American rapper Soulja Boy from his debut album souljaboytellem.com. It spent seven weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 2007. The song is recognized by its looping steel pan riff. The song was originally produced on the program FL Studio before...
" - Soulja Boy Tell 'EmDeAndre Cortez Way , better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, or simply Soulja Boy, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, entrepreneur, and internet personality....
and Travis BarkerTravis Landon Barker is an American musician, producer and entrepreneur, most noted as the drummer for the American pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock band The Transplants, and the alternative rock band Box Car Racer. He was a frequent collaborator with...
- "The Slam" - TobyMac
Toby McKeehan , better known by his stage name TobyMac , is a Christian recording artist, music producer, hip-hop/pop artist, singer-songwriter, and author....
- "…To Be Loved" - Papa Roach
Papa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California. Their first major-label release was the triple-platinum album Infest . The group's success continued with their gold album Lovehatetragedy , their platinum album Getting Away with Murder , The Paramour Sessions , and Metamorphosis...
(Featured during Theatrical Trailer)
- "It's not my time" - 3 Doors Down
3 Doors Down is an American rock band from Escatawpa formed in 1996. The band consists of Brad Arnold , Matt Roberts , Todd Harrell , Chris Henderson , and Greg Upchurch ....
The trance track played, when Ryan and his dad argue, is called "Estuera - Tales From The South (Jonas Steur's Flow Revision)", it did not feature on the soundtrack. It's from the album In Search of Sunrise 5: Los Angeles -
TiestoTijs Michiel Verwest, , known as Tiësto , is a Dutch musician, DJ and record producer of electronic dance music. Although he has used many aliases in the past, he is best known for his work as DJ Tiësto...