Everything Actioncast: Best of the Best (1989)
This week on the Everything Actioncast, Zach and Chris determine who is the Best of the Best as the 80s martial arts classic turns 35.
Starring Eric Roberts, James Earl Jones, and real-life competitive martial artist Phillip Rhee, Best of the Best is loosely based on Rhee’s time in the 1980 Asia Games Tae Kwan Do championship as a member of Team USA vs South Korea. In the movie, Rhee is Tommy Lee, who is joined by Roberts’ Alex Grady, Chris Penn’s Travis Brickley, John Dye’s Virgil Keller, and David Agresta’s Sonny Grasso as the US team traveling to South Korea to battle Team Korea, led by arguably the greatest fighter in the world, Dae Han (Simon Rhee), who also just happened to kill Tommy’s brother in a prior tournament. Zach and Chris talk about the many training montages and how the movie is more Rocky than Bloodsport, brick breaking, the bar brawl with Kane Hodder, Sonny and Virgil’s lack of interpersonal drama to overcome, and more.
Next week, we’re entering the arena and discussing Gladiator as Gladiator II hits theaters.
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