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Best of the Best is a 1989 martial arts film. The plot revolves around a team of American karatekas facing a team of Koreans in a taekwondo tournament.^[1] Several sub plots pop up in the story - moral conflicts, the power of the human spirit triumphing over adversity are some themes. The movie stars Phillip Rhee, James Earl Jones, Eric Roberts and Chris Penn.

Plot[link]

Alexander Grady, 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, 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, an extremely brash fighter with a short fuse; Virgil Keller, a devout Buddhist; and Sonny Grasso, a streetwise fighter from Detroit.

Coached by veteran trainer Frank Couzo, 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.

When the tournament starts, Keller and Grasso are out classed by their Korean opponents. Travis does his best to psyche up the team with his brash attitude leading to a sudden death breaking duel with his opponent. Couzo invites Grady's family to motivate him to win; however, his shoulder is severely re-injured during his bout. Instead of giving up, he implores Tommy to "pop" the shoulder back into place and resumes the fight with one arm, ultimately defeating his opponent.

Finally, Tommy faces the Captain of the Korean team, Dae Han, the man responsible for the death of his brother. After a slow start, Tommy gets the upper hand and delivers a series of moves that forces Dae Han solely on the defensive. As the match nears its end, Tommy has brought the American team within a single point of victory. Consumed with vengeance, Tommy prepares to end the fight, but realizing that the battered Dae Han would likely not survive the attack, Couzo orders Tommy to stand down, saving the man's life but forfeiting the victory as time expires. Couzo consoles Tommy afterwards, telling him, "You won that match, don't ever forget that".

At the medal ceremony, Dae Han gingerly approaches Tommy and praises him for his honorable act. He then apologizes for the death of Tommy's brother, and in return offers himself as a brother to Tommy. Tommy accepts, and Dae Han hands over his medal before the two men embrace. The other members of Team Korea then follow suit, awarding their medals to their respective American opponents.

Cast[link]

• James Earl Jones as Coach Frank Couzo
• Eric Roberts as Alexander "Alex" Grady
• 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 Kathryn Wade
• 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
• Ho Sik Pak as Han Cho

Soundtrack[link]

Originally released as a vinyl record album, cassette and CD, re-released on CD in 2004.^[2]

1. Tales of Power - Jim Capaldi (3:32)
2. Best of the Best- Stubblefield & Hall (4:12)
3. American Hotel - Kirsten Nash (4:14)
4. Something so Strong - Jim Capaldi (4:34)
5. The Devil Made Me Do It - Golden Earring (3:18)
6. Radar Love (live) - Golden Earring (4:00)
7. Backroads - Charlie Major (4:03)
8. Original Score Medley - Paul Gilman (4:11)
9. Someday I'm Gonna Ride in a Cadillac - Charlie Major (3:36)

Reception[link]

Critics were universally negative about the film.^{[3] [4][5][6][7]} In his book Iceman: My Fighting Life, UFC champion Chuck Liddell cites Best of the Best as his personal favorite martial arts film.^{[citation needed]}

References[link]

External links[link]

Best of the Best at the Internet Movie Database