Best of the Best (1989 film)

Best of the Best
Original theatrical poster
Directed by	Bob Radler
Produced by	Phillip Rhee Peter Strauss
Written by	Paul Levine
Story by	Paul Levine Phillip Rhee
Starring	Eric Roberts James Earl Jones Sally Kirkland Phillip Rhee John P. Ryan John Dye David Agresta Tom Everett Louise Fletcher Simon Rhee Christopher Penn
Music by	Paul Gilman
Cinematography	Douglas Ryan
Edited by	William Hoy
Production company	The Movie Group SVS Company, Inc. Kuys Entertainment
Distributed by	Taurus Entertainment
Release date	November 10, 1989 (1989-11-10)
Running time	97 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$5 million
Box office	$1.7 million

Best of the Best is a 1989 American martial arts film directed by Bob Radler, and produced by Phillip Rhee, who also co-stars in the film. The film also starred Eric Roberts, James Earl Jones and Christopher Penn.

The plot revolves around a team of American martial artists facing a team of Korean martial artists in a taekwondo tournament. Several subplots pop up in the story - moral conflicts, the power of the human spirit triumphing over adversity and the meaning of life are some themes.

Set and filmed in Los Angeles, California, and Seoul, South Korea, between February 13 and April 6, 1989, Best of the Best was released on November 10, 1989.

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, Virgil and Sonny 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 Alex'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.