Hottoceame The Age of Commercialism

Marketic It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Kinley This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Bezenby Everyone knows that training montages are pivotal to an action movie, right? But what happens when a film forgets the 'montage' part and just gives us the training? That's what happens in Best of the Best, which barely leaves the film enough time to do the actual fighting at the end.The films opens with James Earl Jones of all people doing trials to cobble together a team of five Tae Kwon Do champs to go head to head with some Korean guys. He finally picks Eric Roberts (who has a 'five' year old son to look after), bumhole Chris Penn, Tommy (who has beef with the one eyed Korean champ), a Buddhist called Orville and an Italian-American guy who you know will be first up to have his arse kicked.After bonding with each other during a bar fight, our lads set off for some training under the watch of hard arse James Earl Jones, who shouts a lot at everyone. No one likes Chris Penn either, and to add to the drama Tommy's having flashbacks to his brother being killed and Eric's kid ends up in a coma! This lot need to neck some Beta Blockers and get to that tournament fast! Couch Earl Jones won't even let Eric have some emergency leave to go see his five year old teenage kid and therefore Eric quits the team and goes to see his son and no doubt buy more timotei for that hairdo of his, while Tommy quits as well. It's all drama, no kick boxing. C'mon! Get it together.Finally, and I mean with about ten minutes of the film to go, we finally get our kick boxing tournament. I'm all up for grown men round-housing each other in the face but this film is too well acted and too well made to be stupid enough for me to enjoy fully. Both Julia Roberts and Jones James Earl are fine actors, but couldn't they have taken a leaf out of a Gary Daniels or Godfrey Ho film and thrown in some side story involving drug runners or at least an exploding car or too? I paid thirty pence for all four of the Best of the Best films, so I can't complain much. I'm halfway through watching the second one and it's much better.

The_Phantom_Projectionist I've started to write this review several times but aborted the attempts when I found myself unable to convey the quality of this movie. Mind you, I'm not necessarily talking about its theatrical value, but as its quality as a genuine martial arts movie, opposed to just an action movie with kicks. It's not the only film to attain this distinction, but the fact that it manages to do so on an adult level with a mixed cast of both acclaimed and (at the time) forthcoming stars qualifies it as the grown-up version of THE KARATE KID. If this means little or nothing to you, I advise you stop reading this review, but if you believe that the fighting arts can positively affect your life and that a good movie can be made of this concept, read on.The story: A team of professional martial artists must master themselves under the tutelage of a tough coach (James Earl Jones) en-route to representing the United States in the national championships and an all-or-nothing battle against the formidable Korean national team.I won't deny that the movie strays into B-grade territory every now and again. Though the rest of its fights take place on the mat in a professional capacity, the film affords itself one bar brawl, similar to something you'd see in a Van Damme movie (albeit with six Jean-Claudes instead of one). The script seriously neglects at least one of the main supporting characters (David "Sonny" Agresta), and the inclusion of one main character (Sally Kirkland of Anna as James Earl Jones' co-trainer) is unnecessary. With that said, the movie features surprisingly strong acting for any kind of martial arts film. The cast list includes no less than three Oscar-nominees in pivotal roles (Jones, Sally Kirkland, and Eric Roberts), and while they're not giving the performances of a lifetime, they and the others are way beyond adequate. Jones' booming voice and Eric Roberts' emotional mini-speeches readily stand out as things that would have been difficult to pull off with a lesser cast and script and immediately set it apart from wannabe films that focused more on fighting.The fighting is worth more than half a glance, however. As the freshman outing of fight choreographer and quasi-villain Simon Rhee, the series of matches are a celebration of traditional tae kwon do, emphasizing realistic forms. The fighters are mostly real-life practitioners and collectively good, but I find myself appreciating the husky and uncharacteristically-cast Chris Penn almost more than the rest, as he goes to show that you do not have to be physically toned to excel at throwing kicks. There are a couple training scenes about, with the fights polarized to the first and fourth quarters of the film, and yet the martial arts are the subliminal driving point of the story. Each of the major characters has clasped onto a single aspect of them: for Phillip "Tommy" Rhee, it's personal desire and sacrifice; for John "Virgil" Dye, it's the spiritual aspect; for Chris "Travis" Penn it's the building of confidence; and so on. Throughout the movie, the characters grasp additional aspects, therein becoming better people regardless of whether they win or lose their end matches. Some of the situations these concepts are demonstrated in can be hammy, but the emotional truth is untainted. The movie sets an upstanding example.Director Robert Radler would dedicate a good number of future martial arts flicks, but none with the emotional and dramatic worth of this, his magnum opus. I can honestly say that I can't think of a serious karate film buff who ought to be without this little gem - it's that good, even after two decades of future films to compare it to.

powermandan There's a reason why Best of the Best is not at the level of Bloodsport, The Karate Kid, and Rocky. There's a reason why Best of the Best is not as well known as Bloodsport, The Karate Kid, and Rocky. The answer: Best of the Best is an all-too cheesy copycat of of all three movies. Of course the movies have all drawn inspiration from one another, but Best of the Best is much inferior. But, having studied the martial arts and knowing different movies' intentions, I liked Best of the Best more than most people. Most people hated it, but not me! Mixed martial arts legend, Chuck Liddell called this his favourite fight movie growing up. It wasn't that good. Best of the Best is the prime example of a guilty pleasure. That's why I'm giving it 10/10.One thing I will give this movie credit for is it is about taekwondo. Most martial arts movies are either about karate or kung-fu, and lately, mixed martial arts. Many martial arts blend in well with each other, but I must give this credit where credit is due. It is about five taekwondo experts from all across America--Alex Grady, Tommy Lee, Travis Brickley, Virgil Keller, and Sonny Grasso (Roberts, Rhee, Penn, Dye, Agresta)-- who are chosen to compete against a team of unbeatable Koreans in a full contact fight. Each man must learn to work as a team and deal with their pushy coach (Jones) as well as their own personal demons. Sounds familiar? The main fighters it focuses on are Eric Roberts' and Phillip Rhee's characters, Alex Grady and Tommy Lee, whose subplots are actually pretty good. Grady is a widower who must provide for his young son, and Lee witnessed his soon-to-be opponent (played by Rhee's real life brother, Simon) murder his brother in competition and he swears revenge. Both subplots are good and provide the substance and seriousness that the movie needed. When Lee's subplot gets looked into more, it actually is heartrending and provides great sympathy for the characters. Best of the Best features training sequences, fights, and various situations that mirror the movies I mentioned earlier. Also, I mentioned that this was much cheesier. During the final fight scenes at the end, the Americans (good guys) are clad in black and the Koreans (bad guys) are clad in white. From a guy with fight knowledge, i can assure you that the fight sequences are very well done, but the fighters themselves are comical. Sonny Grasso is your stereotypical Italian, Virgil Keller is a hippy, Travis Brickley is a rude cowboy, and Alex Grady has beautiful hair. The Koreans don't have any distinctive features, but are still funny in how they try to look and act vicious. Tommy's opponent wears an eyepatch and looks like Snake Plisskin from Escape From New York and LA. Tommy is the only fully serious one. The fights are great and there's great emotion stirred up. It leads to a somewhat cheesy, but thoroughly wonderful ending.

disdressed12 am martial arts movies go,this one is pretty good.the acting is very good,compared to many movies of the genre.this type of story has been done before,but it really works here.the fight scenes are pretty good.the movie moves along at a fast clip. most of the main characters are likable.they all have different quirks as well,making for a good mix.and they all grow before the end of the movie.the movie also has the message of teamwork,friendship,and honour,but it isn't preachy and doesn't hit you over the head.i think it is certainly an entertaining 97 minutes.i don't think it's the best martial arts movie,but it's certainly closer to the top than the bottom.i recommend it. 8/10