In the late eighties, martial arts had become firmly embedded in pop culture thanks to the legacy of Bruce Lee, The Karate Kid, and a never-ending slew of ninja movies from Cannon Films. Schools opened in virtually every mall across North America (including the one I attended as a kid in the mid-nineties). Guys like Steven Seagal, Chuck Norris, and especially Jean-Claude Van Damme became household names, while martial arts tournament movies were a staple of every video store, with classics like Kickboxer, Bloodsport, Bloodfist, and many more lining the shelves.
Yet, as far as I was concerned, they all paled in comparison to Best of the Best.
In this 1989 flick, a team of American martial artists, including single father Alex Grady (Eric Roberts), is chosen to represent the United States in an international tournament against Team Korea. Complicating matters is the fact that the team’s most skilled fighter, Tommy (Philip Rhee), secretly plans to take revenge against Team Korea’s leader, Dae Han (Simon Rhee), who killed his brother years earlier during a match.
While it’s a cult favorite now, Best of the Best was a major flop in 1989 despite getting a wide theatrical release in North America. With its PG-13 rating, it’s clear the filmmakers were aiming for mainstream success along the lines of The Karate Kid. It didn’t happen. For whatever reason, Best of the Best bombed theatrically, grossing only $1.7 million. However, its success on home video and cable was so massive that it spawned a theatrically released sequel in 1992, followed by two loosely connected direct-to-video sequels in the mid-nineties.
First, let me acknowledge that, for many of you reading this, Best of the Best isn’t an obscure movie. It’s a cult favorite among action fans thanks to its constant cable play throughout the nineties (thank you, TBS!), and it was successful enough to spawn a modest franchise. Yet I also firmly believe there are just as many readers who have never even heard of this late-eighties gem, which is a cut above most martial arts movies of the era.
For one thing, Best of the Best is more of a drama in the vein of Rocky or The Karate Kid than an all-out action movie. Just as much—if not more—time is devoted to the personal lives of the athletes. Eric Roberts is the heart and soul of the film as injured fighter Alex Grady, who put his dreams on hold to raise his son as a single father. One of the best subplots involves his son being injured in an accident and Alex’s decision to quit the team to be there for him. You also have to appreciate that the filmmakers hired a legitimate actor rather than a martial artist for the role. Roberts trained hard enough to make the action convincing while bringing real emotional weight to the character. That said, the same approach backfires a bit with Chris Penn, who never quite convinces as one of the country’s best martial artists, although he’s entertaining enough that it’s easy to forgive.
What may surprise people is that, despite Eric Roberts receiving top billing, he isn’t really the star. Philip Rhee, who plays Tommy, is the movie’s true lead. Rhee actually competed on the U.S. taekwondo team during the 1980 competition against South Korea, which inspired the screenplay he co-wrote and produced. Tommy gets both the biggest emotional arc and the film’s most brutal fight, but what really stands out is how the story avoids the typical eighties action-movie clichés. While Team Korea is built up as this intimidating enemy, once the tournament begins they’re revealed to be honorable competitors who aren’t all that different from the American team. The ending remains one of my all-time favorite “guy cry” moments, right up there with Brian’s Song.
The movie is also packed with classic tough-guy moments, none better than when Alex dislocates his shoulder and has Tommy snap it back into place.
“POP IT, TOMMY!”
While it’s undeniably cheesy in that distinctly eighties way (complete with motorcycle rides set to power ballads), it’s still a cut above most of the competition. Roberts was at the peak of his career, coming off three Golden Globe nominations (King of the Gypsies, Star 80, and Runaway Train) and an Oscar nomination for the latter (although I’d argue he should have been nominated—and won—for Star 80). He throws himself completely into the role. Sure, he cries more than just about any action hero ever has, but that’s part of what makes Alex Grady feel like such a real person. Philip Rhee also deserved a much bigger career than he ultimately had.
And while some people may scoff at the idea of James Earl Jones playing a martial arts coach, he was the authority figure of that era. His presence on the VHS cover probably helped introduce this movie to plenty of people who otherwise might have passed it by.
For his part, Eric Roberts has always remained proud of the film. In an interview with The A.V. Club, he recalled:
“That was maybe the most fun physically I’ve ever had making movies. It was like boys’ camp. I got to go work out the body at the gym every morning, then you’d go do the goju and get ready for the moves of the day, and then you’d go to the set and shoot a karate movie. It ended up being a wonderful movie about triumph. And I’m very proud of that first film, Best Of The Best. It’s a really good movie.”
Best of the Best is a prime slice of eighties cheese, but unlike many of its contemporaries, it also has a genuine heart beneath its brawny exterior. I found it incredibly inspiring as a kid, and all these years later, I still think it’s well worth watching—or revisiting.