Best of the Best (1989)

Best of the Best is a 1989 American martial arts film directed by Bob Radler, and produced by Phillip Rhee, who also co-wrote the story and co-stars in the film. The film also starred Eric Roberts, James Earl Jones, Sally Kirkland, Simon Rhee and Chris Penn. The plot revolves around a team of American martial artists facing a team of South Korean martial artists in a martial arts tournament. Several subplots pop up in the story — moral conflicts, the power of the human spirit triumphing over adversity and the meaning of life are some themes. Set and filmed in Los Angeles, California, and Seoul, South Korea, between February 13 and April 6, 1989, Best of the Best was released on November 10, 1989. The film has spawned three sequels: Best of the Best 2 (1993), Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back (1995), and Best of the Best 4: Without Warning (1998). Phillip Rhee portrays Tommy Lee in all four films, produced all of them, directed the third and fourth films, and co-wrote the first and fourth films. with a budget of $5 million, the film earned worldwide $1.7

Alexander Grady, a widower and father from Portland, Oregon is chosen to represent the United States of America in an international martial arts tournament against Team Korea. Once a rising star in the martial arts world, he suffered a shoulder injury that forced him into retirement. Also chosen for the team are Tommy Lee, a highly skilled martial arts instructor from Fresno, California; Travis Brickley, an extremely brash fighter with a short fuse from Miami, Florida; Virgil Keller, a devout Buddhist from Providence, Rhode Island; and Sonny Grasso, a streetwise fighter from Detroit, Michigan. Despite being coached by veteran trainer Frank Couzo, their chances of winning are virtually non-existent, as the Koreans train all year long, enjoy lucrative financial support from their nation, and have—on at least one occasion—killed a competitor in the ring. To win, they will need to be the best technically, physically, and mentally. As training begins, the team struggles to bond as Travis antagonizes them. Given the pressure, the American team hires a second assistant coach, Catherine Wade, whose spiritual approach to training clashes with Couzo’s more rigorous coaching techniques.

Tommy is disturbed when his opponent is revealed to be Dae Han Park, Team Korea’s best fighter and veteran martial artist who was responsible for killing Tommy’s brother David Lee in a similar tournament. Couzo hopes that Tommy’s desire for revenge will give him the necessary aggression to win, while Wade is more concerned about Tommy’s mental state. With time and training, the team begins to bond and to earn each other’s respect. Couzo cuts Alex from the team when he breaks the rigid training regimen to visit his son, who had been hit by a car; later, Tommy quits after knocking out Virgil with a powerful spinning side kick during practice. Conflicted by his desire for revenge, Tommy confesses to Alex his fear of fighting Dae Han, but Alex strongly urges him to do the right thing and face his brother’s killer. Travis and the others persuade Couzo to reinstate Alex, and Tommy eventually rejoins the team after a change of heart.

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Reception.

Professional critics were universally negative about the film, although it inspired several sequels and has gained a following over the years. On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 26 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating “generally unfavorable reviews”. In his book Iceman: My Fighting Life, UFC champion Chuck Liddell cites Best of the Best as his personal favorite martial arts film. Movie historian Leonard Maltin, on the other hand, dismissed the picture as “Yet another Rocky clone” and “An appalling waste of talent…a top-drawer cast in search of a script.”

Cast:

Eric Roberts as Alex Grady
James Earl Jones as Coach Frank Couzo
Phillip Rhee as Tommy Lee
Chris Penn as Travis Brickley
John Dye as Virgil Keller
David Agresta as Sonny Grasso
Tom Everett as Assistant Coach Don Peterson
Sally Kirkland as Catherine Wade
John P. Ryan as Jennings
Louise Fletcher as Mrs. Grady, Alex’s Mother
Edan Gross as Walter Grady, Alex’s Son
Hee Il Cho as Korean Coach
Simon Rhee as Dae Han Park
James Lew as Sae Jin Kwon
Ken Nagayama as Yung Kim
Ahmad Rashad as Broadcaster
Kane Hodder as Burt
Edward Bunker as Stan