Best Of The Best (1989)

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You can usually determine the success of a film by the number of sequels it has spawned. In THE BEST OF THE BEST, the most recent count is four, but it is in only the first that the electricity that director Robert Radler focused becomes apparent. It is not the plot that marks this martial arts movie as several notches above its competition, nor is it just the well-choreographed fight scenes, although they are here pretty spectacular too. The key is that the cast blend well together so that the audience actually cares about their collective fates. Talent and earnestness in front of the camera make even the non-fight scenes linger in the mind. There are no single Hollywood stars who dominate, although James Earl Jones as the coach of a Korea-bound Karate team and Eric Roberts as his top fighter come close. The magic of the film is how each of these two stars bounce off each other in ways more personal and emotional than physical. Jones is your typical no-nonsense sports coach who, in order to preserve his integrity, is even willing to suspend his best fighter whom he deems as having broken one of the team's rules. There is a subplot of another Jones-coached fighter, well played by Korean martial arts star, Phillip Rhee, who must fight in a vicious tournament the very same man who killed his brother in the same tournament some years earlier. The first half of the movie is the talky part that centers on the conflict between Jones and Roberts. Sally Kirkland is wasted in a walk-on role as an eye candy inspirational coach who tells each fighter to ignore their pains by focusing only on 'a good place.' The second half brings the action squarely to the tournament where each American must tangle with his Korean counterpart. The matches are not only physical; they also represent an emotional and psychological battle that leaves the audience in the stadium and the audience watching the video wondering just who are the favorites. The conclusion is eminently satisifying, even if the final scene is drenched in sappy pathos. Still, THE BEST OF THE BEST is well-named for it makes you think about the tournament long after the stadium in Seoul has closed for the night.

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