“Best of the Best (1989 film)”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

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 South Korean martial artists in a karate tournament.^[3] 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.

Plot

Alexander Grady (Eric Roberts), a widower and father of a five-year-old son is chosen to represent the United States of America in an international martial arts tournament against Team Korea. Once a rising star in the martial arts world, he suffered a shoulder injury that forced him into retirement. Also chosen for the team are Tommy Lee (Phillip Rhee), a skilled fighter and martial arts instructor, Travis Brickley (Christopher Penn), an extremely brash fighter with a short fuse; Virgil Keller (John Dye), a devout Buddhist; and Sonny Grasso (David Agresta), a streetwise fighter from Detroit.

Coached by veteran trainer Frank Couzo (James Earl Jones), the team begins training. Their chances of winning are virtually non-existent, as the Koreans train all year long, enjoy the full funding of the country's government and are known as the best the sport has to offer. Travis starts out deliberately antagonistic to the other members of his team, particularly Tommy. More drama arises when a second assistant coach, Catherine Wade (Sally Kirkland), is hired, whose more spiritual approach leads to conflict with Couzo's more aggressive coaching techniques. Further complicating the situation is the fact that Tommy is pitted against the Korean team's best fighter; Dae Han, a merciless opponent who once killed Tommy's brother in a similar tournament, leading to an internal conflict as Tommy struggles to balance his rage over his brother with his firm pacifist beliefs. When Wade learns of Tommy's past with Dae-Han she berates Coach Couzo for putting Tommy in the ring with him. The two come to an understanding after Couzo reveals that he was coaching the team in the tournament in which Tommy's brother died, and has since lived with the guilt, realizing that he didn't push his team hard enough. In a conversation with Alex, Tommy reveals he's not scared of Dae Han, but rather scared that when faced with his opponent, he will kill him.

When his son is hit by a car, Alex returns home despite Couzo's warnings that he will be cut from the team over any missed training. When he returns asking to be let back on, Couzo stubbornly refuses. Tommy later quits after knocking out Virgil during practice. The three remaining teammates approach Couzo and try to convince him to get Alex and Tommy back, as they need them to win. Impressed by how the team has come together, The coach allows Alex back on the team. Tommy changes his mind and just catches the team at the airport where he learns that the coach has already gotten his ticket.

In the first two matches of the tournament, Virgil and Sonny are out classed by their Korean opponents. Travis does his best to psyche up the team with his brash attitude, going point for point with his Korean counterpart, but loses in a tie-breaker brick-breaking competition. Alex dominates his match with his opponent, Sae Jin Kwon, but takes a devastating axe-kick to his shoulder which dislocates it. Instead of giving up, he implores Tommy to "pop" the shoulder back into place and resumes the fight, ultimately defeating his opponent with one arm. Finally, Tommy faces Dae Han. After a slow start, Tommy gets the upper hand and delivers a series of blows that force Dae Han solely on the defensive. As the match nears its end, Tommy has brought the American team within two points of outright victory, and Dae Han can barely stand. Tommy prepares to end the fight, but realizing that the battered Dae Han would likely not survive his final attack, Tommy hesitates and lets the clock run out, saving the man's life but forfeiting the overall victory. Couzo consoles Tommy afterwards, telling him, "You won that match, don't ever forget that".

At the medal ceremony, Dae Han unexpectedly approaches Tommy and praises him for his honorable act. He then apologizes for the death of Tommy's brother, and in return offers himself as a brother. Tommy accepts, and Dae Han places his medal around Tommy's neck before the two men embrace. Sae Jin Kwon then walks up to Alex and states his long-time admiration for him as a fighter, before also handing over his medal. The other members of Team Korea then follow suit, awarding their medals to their respective American opponents.

Cast

Soundtrack

Originally released as a vinyl record album, cassette and CD, re-released on CD in 2004.^[4]

Reception

Professional critics were universally negative about the film, although it inspired several sequels and has gained a following over the years.^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9] In his book Iceman: My Fighting Life, UFC champion Chuck Liddell cites Best of the Best as his personal favorite martial arts film.^[10] Movie historian Leonard Maltin, on the other hand, dismissed the picture as "Yet another Rocky clone" and "An appalling waste of talent...a top-drawer cast in search of a script."

Reboot

Rhee revealed in an interview with The Action Elite that he's planning on rebooting the franchise with a new cast and Rhee will produce the new film.^[11]^[12]

References

1. ^{{cite web|url=http://powergrid.thewrap.com/project/best-best|title=Best of the Best (1989)|work=The Wrap|accessdate=December 11, 2016}}
2. ^{{Mojo title|bestofthebest}}
3. ^{{cite news|title= MOVIE REVIEW Plot Defeats `Best' Karate Sequences |publisher= The Los Angeles Times|date=1989-11-10|url= http://articles.latimes.com/1989-11-10/entertainment/ca-1191_1_phillip-rhee|accessdate=2011-01-13|first=Kevin|last=Thomas}}
4. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/catalog/soundtrackdetail.php?movieid=50031 |title=Best Of The Best- Soundtrack details |publisher=SoundtrackCollector.com |date=2007-05-13 |accessdate=2013-05-10}}
5. ^{{cite news|title= MOVIE REVIEW Plot Defeats `Best' Karate Sequences |publisher= The Los Angeles Times|date=1989-11-10|url= http://articles.latimes.com/1989-11-10/entertainment/ca-1191_1_phillip-rhee|accessdate=2011-01-13|first=Kevin|last=Thomas}}
6. ^{{cite news|title= Best of Best|publisher= The New York Times|date=1989-11-11|url= https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=950DE0DC1630F932A25752C1A96F948260|accessdate=2011-01-13|first=Stephen|last=Holden}}
7. ^{{cite news|title= Best of Best|publisher= Pop Matters|url= http://www.popmatters.com/film/reviews/b/best-of-the-best-dvd.shtml|accessdate=2011-01-13}}
8. ^{{cite news|title= Best of Best|publisher= DVD Talk|url= http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/12140/best-of-the-best/|accessdate=2011-01-14}}
9. ^{{cite news|title= MOVIE REVIEW High-kicking Martial Arts Film Isn't Best |publisher= Sun Sentinel|url= http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1989-11-16/features/8902100426_1_martial-arts-arts-film-arts-competitors|accessdate=2011-01-14}}
10. ^{{cite book |title=Iceman: My Fighting Life |last=Liddell |first=Chuck |authorlink=Chuck Liddell |author2=Chad Millman |year=2008 |publisher=Penguin |location=New York |isbn=0525950567 |page=24}}
11. ^{{cite web|url=http://theactionelite.com/2015/06/interview-with-phillip-rhee/|title=Interview With Phillip Rhee|publisher=The Action Elite|last=Moore|first=David J.|date=June 22, 2015}}
12. ^{{cite web|url=http://filmcombatsyndicate.blogspot.com/2015/06/best-of-best-star-phillip-rhee-going-to.html|title=BEST OF THE BEST Star Phillip Rhee: 'We're Going To Reboot The Whole Franchise'|publisher=Film Combat Syndicate|last=Golden|first=Lee|date=June 23, 2015}}

Plot

Cast

Soundtrack

Reception

Reboot

References

External links