Best of the Best

Best of the Best is a 1989 action drama about a United States martial arts team chosen to represent the country at an international tournament in Korea. Among the fighters is Alex Grady, who has largely stepped away from competition after an injury, and Tommy Lee, still haunted by the memory of his brother, who died in a match years earlier. The squad members are strong individual competitors but poor teammates, and their personal conflicts threaten to derail them before they ever face their opponents. Under coach Frank Couzo, they must settle their differences and fight as a unit.

Robert Radler directed the film from a screenplay by Paul Levine, with Peter Strauss and Phillip Rhee producing. It was Radler's first feature and the beginning of a series: he returned to direct Best of the Best 2, released in 1993, followed by Showdown the same year and The Substitute: Failure Is Not an Option in 2001. Eric Roberts plays Alex Grady, Phillip Rhee plays Tommy Lee, and James Earl Jones plays coach Couzo, with Sally Kirkland as Catherine Wade, Chris Penn as Travis Brickley and John Dye as Virgil Keller among a credited cast of 47.

Made for about 5 million dollars, the film took in roughly 14 million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.4 out of 10 from 17,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.5 out of 10 from 356 votes.