Fantastic Fest 2018 Review: ‘FP2: Beats Of Rage’

When Jason Trost released The FP back in 2011, I don’t think anyone could have predicted the influence it would have on some people. Some fans made life-long commitments with The FP tattoos (Like Geekscape’s own Frank Sanders), some made life-long commitments with marriage (more on that later), and many allowed the film’s dialogue to become part of their every day vernacular. I know I’ve often ask someone “What are you being for Halloween this year? A Bitch!?” and for that I’ll always be appreciative of Jason “J-Tro” Trost.

I was thrilled when I looked at the films playing this year’s Fantastic Fest and saw FP2: Beats of Rage would be screened.  It played midnight Saturday for a rowdy crowd of fans and a newlywed couple (seriously listen to the interview at the bottom of this page for more information on this). The Alamo has a strict no-talking rule – with one exception, because if you’re watching the FP2: Beats of Rage and you’re not chanting J-TRO and yelling about at the screen… you’re not doing it right.

So is it good? It is. Is it better than the original? For me not quite, but it’s still damn good. It’s also worth noting that this was my only watch of FP2: Beats of Rage so far, while my love of the original grew with more viewings. I have a strong feeling that FP2 will also be a grower.

The film takes place a few years after the original FP ends, J-Tro is alone again, isolated from his friends, mostly spending his time in a garage fixing old technologies like a Bop-It (not to be confused with Skip-It) and stealing alcohol to get drunk in a drainage pipe. When his former trainer BLT is 187ed by AK-47 of the Wastelands, JTRO must go on a journey to his birthplace to compete in the ancient Beat-Beat tournament Beats of Rage.

While the original film took its comedic beats by very seriously paying homage to films like Rocky IV and Rambo: First Blood Part II despite the outrageous subject matter; Trost does more of the same here, but this time parodying the outrageous sequels like Temple of Doom, Beyond Thunderdome and just a slight dabble of Krull. It allows the film to not just be a carbon copy of the original and is a giant breathe of fresh air for the budding franchise.

During the Q&A following the screening, Trost promised that Part 3 will be on the horizon. Until then I eagerly await the next installment. Learn more about the movie and the newlyweds that attended the screening by checking out the interview below, and be on the lookout for more Fantastic Fest coverage!