Review of Best of the Best (1989) by Brandon D — 06 Nov 2015

Alexander Grady (Eric Roberts), a widower and father of a five-year-old son, Walter, is chosen to represent the United States of America in an international martial arts tournament against Team Korea, despite a shoulder injury that once forced him into retirement. Also chosen for the team is Tommy Lee (Phillip Rhee), a man seeking revenge against a member of Team Korea for the death of his brother during a previous tournament. The rest of Team USA consists of Travis Brickley (Christopher Penn), an extremely brash fighter with a short fuse; Virgil Keller (John Dye), a devout Buddhist; and Sonny Grasso (David Agresta), a streetwise fighter from Detroit. Coached by veteran trainer Frank Couzo (James Earl Jones) and the philosophical assistant coach Don Peterson (Sally Kirkland), the team prepares to meet an unstoppable group of true martial arts experts. Their chances of winning are virtually non-existent, as the Koreans train all year long and are known as the best the sport has to offer. Along their journey, the Americans have to deal with their personal conflicts and tragedies, before they become a team...

I remember when "Best of The Best" came out in 1989 and how excited I was to see it. As far as I remember I liked it back then, and re-seeing it creates some sort of nostalgic feeling inside despite the fact that his is an average cheesy 80´s flag waving clichéridden martial arts film in one way, at the same time it pushes for team work success and how to reach personal achievements with obstacles in the way. There´s melodrama and emotional turns, but the acting leaves you wishing for something more consistent and stronger and the storyline isn´t always focused or logic. The action sequences are ok and despite it being a bit over the top I do like the ending that avoids from the classic "US wins" formula. This is ok in my book.