Best of the Best (1989)

Best of the Best is a 1989 American sports film directed by Bob Radler, and produced by Phillip Rhee, who also co-wrote the story and co-stars in the film. The film 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 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.

Plot:

Alexander Grady, an auto plant welder and a widowed father from Portland, Oregon is chosen to represent the United States of America in an international martial arts tournament against Team South Korea. Once a rising star in the martial arts world, he suffered a shoulder injury three years prior, which 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 full 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.

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.”