Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown

Released by: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Availability: Out 12th September 2011
Price: £12.99

Never Back Down 2 is centred around four college age kids from different backgrounds brought together by Case (Michael Jai White who also dons the director’s hat), an MMA star whose career was ruined after a stint in prison. Under his tutelage they are all training to take part in The Beatdown, a local underground MMA event organised by a college student (Evan Peters, Kick-Ass) who fancies himself to be the next Dana White.

Zack (Alex Meraz from Twilight) is a boxer with a torn retina who has taken up MMA as an opportunity to keep fighting, Mike (Dean Geyer of Neighbours fame) is a wrestler with a short temper who is coming to terms with his dad leaving his mum for another man, Justin Epstein (MMA fighter Scottie Epstein) is the stereotypical kid who gets bullied, learns to fight and gets his revenge. Finally there is Tim (former UFC fighter Todd Duffee), the gentle giant who splits his time between training, studying at college and helping his mum bring up his younger siblings.

Despite containing this mixture of actors and martial arts stars the only good parts of the film consist of the fighting. Between training montages the students enjoy all the trials, tribulations, girls, booze and strippers you would expect from college kids but this really just pads out space before the next one comes along. The two best scenes are hands down Jai White taking down a bunch of crooked cops with his hands behind his back, and, saving the best for last the Beatdown event itself proves a fitting climax to the movie.

Fans of mixed martial arts will probably enjoy this much more than those who aren’t but with mixed martial arts films still finding their feet in terms of what works and what doesn’t, Never Back Down 2 is a good step forward and should result in better films in the future.

6/10