The Never Back Down Quadrilogy (2008/2011/2016/2021)

[AlbertV]

Teaser Poster:

[ToryK]

This is from Jaa`s Facebook page

it would be interesting if you are come as cameo in NBD 3 .....i love this movie verry much.... jeeja yanin will be in that film too rigth TJ?

23 · 11 May at 19:19

Tony Jaa Official Jeeja is in the film, and for a cameo hmmm anything is possible TJ

50 · 11 May at 19:52

Tony do you mean you going to be in never back down 3? Awesome!!! Please make more movies with MJW

33 · 11 May at 15:43

Tony Jaa Official No I am not in the film, I am going to be shooting something else that will be announced soon. I am very excited to see Michael Jai Whites film when it is done. TJ

104 · 11 May at 15:49

Thanks for this, dude!

[AlbertV]

This photo was taken today from Michael Jai White's Facebook page. It looks as though Tony Jaa may possibly appear in the film after all, but the question is: Is he actually in it, perhaps a cameo, or just visiting? Jaa had finished his promotional tour for SPL II and is back in Thailand.

Left to right: Esai Morales, Josh Barnett, Jaa, White, Gillian Waters

[One Armed Boxer]

It looks as though Tony Jaa may possibly appear in the film after all, but the question is: Is he actually in it, perhaps a cameo, or just visiting?

According to the guys over at cityonfire, it's going to be a cameo -

http://www.cityonfire.com/first-teaser-poster-for-michael-jai-whites-never-back-down-3/

[AlbertV]

Filming wrapped on Never Back Down 3 yesterday...now comes post-production. Hope we'll get a release date of the end of the year...because that would be an awesome holiday present.

[mpm74]

Never Back Down 3 is making its way to DVD on April 5, 2016. 

 

No word of a Blu-ray, digital or theatrical release as of yet.

 

http://www.cityonfire.com/first-teaser-poster-for-michael-jai-whites-never-back-down-3/

[udar55]

On 9/3/2014 at 3:50 PM, AlbertV said:

Major news that started out in April...but has been confirmed by Michael Jai White a few weeks ago:

 

There is going to be a Never Back Down 3. Michael Jai White is looking set to reprise his role of ex-MMA fighter turned mentor Case Walker. He mentioned in April that a draft was being worked on and a few weeks ago, he confirmed via his FB page "look out for news for NBD 3!" and if thats not enough, he posted a photo with himself and Djimon Hounsou (who played the mentor Jean Roqua in the original film) and said "I guess you can call this NBD Generations"...is he teasing an appearance from Hounsou to return as well?

 

Take that last part with a grain of salt, but it looks like Case Walker may be going another round in the near future.

Michael Jai White said recently on Twitter that NEVER BACK DOWN 3 should be coming out in about two months.  And possibly a BLOOD AND BONE sequel shooting this year.

https://twitter.com/MichaelJaiWhite/status/692858381778841600

 

Edited January 30, 2016 by udar55

[SamSeed]

Bth very good pieces of news, especially about Blood and Bone.

[DrNgor]

Never Back Down 2 (2011) - That was certainly better than the first one, which was essentially The Karate Kid with some lesbian make-out scenes thrown in for good measure. While this one has its share of exploitive elements, it has a better cast, characters who are more well developed, and probably better overall fighting. I liked how each character, even the main villain, is given a background and some inner demons to deal with. One guy has anger issues because of the breakdown of his own family; another has financial issues and the sting of his mother working at a strip joint to make ends meet; one's an unrepetant womanizer, but is also dealing with the reality that his next fight may leave him blind; and one is a picked-upon dork who simply doesn't know how to deal with the new power he has.Heck, even Evan Peters's sleazy promotor archetype has an extra layer or two and some redeeming qualities. Michael Jai White is great and far more convincing than Djimon Hounsou, and his fight against the racist cops is really good (if a little unnecessary). In the end, an entertaining American martial arts movie.

[DragonClaws]

On 18/02/2017 at 5:37 PM, DrNgor said:

Never Back Down 2 (2011) - That was certainly better than the first one, which was essentially The Karate Kid with some lesbian make-out scenes thrown in for good measure. While this one has its share of exploitive elements, it has a better cast, characters who are more well developed, and probably better overall fighting. I liked how each character, even the main villain, is given a background and some inner demons to deal with. One guy has anger issues because of the breakdown of his own family; another has financial issues and the sting of his mother working at a strip joint to make ends meet; one's an unrepetant womanizer, but is also dealing with the reality that his next fight may leave him blind; and one is a picked-upon dork who simply doesn't know how to deal with the new power he has.Heck, even Evan Peters's sleazy promotor archetype has an extra layer or two and some redeeming qualities. Michael Jai White is great and far more convincing than Djimon Hounsou, and his fight against the racist cops is really good (if a little unnecessary). In the end, an entertaining American martial arts movie.

Enjoyed this movie a lot, never got round to writing anything up about it on here though. Agree with your comments on the sequel Doc, yet to see the first film.

[AlbertV]

On 2/19/2017 at 2:25 PM, DragonClaws said:

Enjoyed this movie a lot, never got round to writing anything up about it on here though. Agree with your comments on the sequel Doc, yet to see the first film.

I did too. And you do know that Evan Peters was playing the same character from the original film. I even liked the recent installment, Never Back Down: No Surrender.

[DragonClaws]

41 minutes ago, AlbertV said:

I did too. And you do know that Evan Peters was playing the same character from the original film.

I skipped the first movie for now, as so many people on the forum told me the sequels were much better. As a Wesley Snipes fan, I will get round to seeing the first movie at some point.

[AlbertV]

Just now, DragonClaws said:

I skipped the first movie for now, as so many people on the forum told me the sequels were much better. As a Wesley Snipes fan, I will get round to seeing the first movie at some point.

As Doc said, the first was basically MMA's answer to The Karate Kid, but Djimon Hounsou's mentor character made the film watchable. He's already trained in martial arts (karate and kung fu), but for this film, he trained in grappling under martial arts legend Erik Paulson. I saw it on a BTS featurette of the film.

[DrNgor]

Never Back Down: Never Surrender (2016) - The first film felt like "Karate Kid with faux-lesbian make-out scenes," with Mr. Miyagi replaced by an African actor playing a Brazilian man with a very French name. It was entertaining for what it was, but hardly an all-time classic. The second one was a lot better, with deeper characters, including the villain, who at least evoked pity, if not sympathy.

Here, Michael Jai White reprises his role as Case Walker, the ex-con kickboxer who now finds himself in Thailand, training an over-the-top MMA fighter for a bout against a Brazilian beast (laughably played by Nathan Jones) while taking on some new students of his own. He eventually finds himself pitted against the Brazilian man-mountain himself.

The fighting is solid and in some places, excellent. Jai White is in great shape and it's always a joy to see him perform his trademark aerial kicks. The last fight is a bit anticlimatic, but it's fun to watch. Jeeja has a thankless cameo as more or less herself, with a fight scene that feels ripped off from the Million-Dollar Baby script. Tony Jaa has a non-fighting cameo that exists to set up a "all black people look alike" joke, feeling especially similar to one from Jerry MacGuire. The weak link is obligatory "black fighter takes on students" trope here, because it never amounts to anything, storywise. Some tension between Case and one of his students is hinted at when Case accepts the bout, but nothing comes of it. But that subplot could've been removed and not changed anything.

[AlbertV]

Revisiting this post with a posting of all three trailers:

This is one of the best fights of the third installment when Case uses his skills of Kyokushinkai Karate to dispose of Cobra

 

[AlbertV]

There is going to be a new Never Back Down movie that will begin production next week. However, the Case Walker saga is officially over as helming the new film will be Kellie Madison, who directed the exhilarating short film The Gate starring Amy Johnston and Cecep Ari Rahman.

The new film will involve a young woman who is kidnapped and forced into a series of underground fights to earn her freedom. The young woman will be played by Olivia Popica and MMA legend Michael Bisping along with Brooke Johnston will play the fight ring runners. Shooting begins in London next week for a 2021 release. Audrey Arkins wrote the screenplay, replacing longtime NBD creator Chris Hauty.

https://action-flix.com/2020/11/12/never-back-down-revolt-olivia-popica-takes-the-lead-in-the-fourth-installment-of-the-mma-fight-franchise/

[AlbertV]

I just saw Michael Bisping's Instagram and it looks like Tim Man is the action director on NBD4.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIOoG3yB_yo/?igshid=11cecmh71iz1e

Edited December 1, 2020 by AlbertV

[AlbertV]

Tim Man posted on his Instagram that production has finished on Never Back Down: Revolt. He posted with some of the stunt team on the film.

Link - https://www.instagram.com/p/CI9IPHBHCIG/

 

[SamSeed]

The other NBD films are pretty forgettable but I'm actually interested in the premise for this one.

[AlbertV]

Co-star and martial artist Neetu Chandra talks about her involvement in Never Back Down: Revolt. She is a 4th-degree black belt in Taekwondo.

https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/from-garam-masala-to-never-back-down-revolt/cid/1804910

Edited April 14, 2021 by AlbertV

[DrNgor]

While not a big fan of the first one, I did enjoy the second one and the second half of the third one which I caught on TV. I like Tim Man's work as a fight choreographer, so I'm hoping this turns out to be good.

[Super Ninja]

I believe many will not share my opinion but I loved NBD (2008), and I enjoyed it like a pig in the mud. Yes, it's by the numbers and if there was anything instead of MMA here, it wouldn't change a thing. This was, my guess is, made to cash in on the popularity of MMA at the time and perhaps to further popularize it, I'm sure a ton of teenagers started training MMA after watching this one. Let's face it, who wouldn't wanna beat down the school's top dog with seemingly perfect life and date Amber Heard, gosh that woman is hot. So what you're getting is a feelgood mix of your typical high school movie and an MMA movie, which is a combination I've never seen before and however strange it feels, it also makes for a fun watch. Needles to say I'm a sucker for high school films, especially ones done right and when you want more of the same, NBD delivers. The structure is very similar to those of kung fu movies meaning you also get training scenes plus I don't think the action is all that bad. Young Jonathan Eusebio worked as one of the choreographers and appeared in the movie as one of the Beat Down trournament fighters Dak Ho. There are enough rear naked chokes, triangles, arm bars, leg locks and body slams to satisfy your MMA needs and after all, NBD was one of the first to do it, so while far from great it has its worth. Total guilty pleasure for me, one that I'd even consider rewatching.

Edited June 2, 2021 by Super Ninja

[Super Ninja]

 

I'm a champion at calling bad movies good and turning a blind eye to as many flaws one can detect in a movie if that movie hits the right notes for me. But even I can't say NBD2 is a good movie. On the other hand it's a great one which is something I'm still trying to understand myself and what makes watching NBD movies such a confusing experience. You know you're watching movies that aren't all that well made but you can't help thinking they're great because you're really, really enjoying watching them.

I don't agree it tops the original in every departement. The script is less heavy on the tropes but it's far from great which, coupled with some questionable acting and White clearly being a first time director, results in plot holes and some awkward moments. It's college instead of high school this time but this is still a world of troubled young men, abs, disfuctional families, MMA coaches with issues, love triangles and single parenting mothers, where everybody is crazy about MMA, even the hot blonde nurse saying those guys could have me any time. Surprisingly, the spirit of the original is there, even the soundtrack is similar and Hauty recycled many motives.

White obviously envisioned his sequel to be what part 2 was for Undisputed series. His movie met the same DTV destiny and once again Larnell Stovall was brought in to do his magic. It's action what really sells NBD2 and where it really outshines the original. The finale is packed with sweet MMA fights though it was White vs. cops fight that impressed me the most and reminded me why I liked him so much in Blood & Bone. 

Edited June 3, 2021 by Super Ninja

[AlbertV]

That Tony Jaa cameo in Never Back Down: No Surrender made me laugh so hard!

Catch up with the cast of the original film

 

Edited June 3, 2021 by AlbertV

[Super Ninja]

17 hours ago, AlbertV said:

That Tony Jaa cameo in Never Back Down: No Surrender made me laugh so hard!

What about the Isaac Cox joke? Lol

NBD3 easily tops the first two in almost every department but when it comes to action, I'd have to say part two takes the throne. What's the fandom verdict@AlbertV?