Best Of The Best (1989)
1. Eric Roberts. Back when Eric Roberts was a big star, but one that was trying to make a name for himself away from his superstar sister Julia, he had it all. Good looks, great hair and a ton of intensity. Best of the Best may be his best ever performance. Wise-cracking, cocky and funny but also one that is heartfelt.
Best of the Best (1989)
Best of the Best (1989 film) is recorded in English and originally aired in United States. Each episode of Best of the Best (1989 film) is 97 minutes long. Best of the Best (1989 film) is distributed by Taurus Entertainment.
Deze martial arts film die zal het qua uitbeelding zeker niet van de vechtsport moeten hebben. Deze film is eerder sterk in het onderdeel drama. De film kent dan ook behoorlijk wat subplots, die allemaal neerkomen op ethische vraagstukken en dilemma's. Het weerspiegelt tegelijk de veerkracht van de menselijke geest om, om te kunnen gaan met tegenslagen. Het is zeker niet het beste acteerwerk en daar is Eric Roberts ook zeker geen heer en meester in. Toch is het allemaal lekker theatraal en enigszins toch vermakelijk. Dit is zo een voorbeeld van een groteske film, die doordat het allemaal zo fout is, het eigenlijk gewoon goed is.
This martial arts film will certainly not rely on martial arts in terms of portrayal. This film is rather strong in the drama part. The film also has quite a few subplots, all of which come down to ethical issues and dilemmas. It also reflects the resilience of the human mind to deal with setbacks. It is certainly not the best acting and Eric Roberts is certainly not master of that either. Yet it is all very theatrical and somewhat entertaining. This is one such example of a grotesque movie, where because it's all so wrong, it's actually just right.
In mijn jeugd destijds grijsgedraaid. Vandaag de dag een dikke B-film, maar eentje die Rocky-gewijs overeind blijft bij een work-out. De polarisatie kon niet groter zijn in de film. Het Amerikaanse team tegenover de Zuid-Koreanen. De goeien tegen de slechten. Er wordt zo goed als alles aan gedaan om de Koreanen als halve wilden en als slechten te bestempelen, het einde ten spijt. De Koreanen trainen bijvoorbeeld in de sneeuw en worden gehard door harde training in de wilde natuur (waterval). Bij de Amerikanen is met harde beats, modernere apparatuur en wat boerenkinkels als sparringpartner in de lokale bar. Achteraf gezien vreemd gezien de Koude Oorlog nog niet voorbij was en men evengoed Russen, Chinezen of zelfs Japanners kon casten als "vijand". Voor Rambo en Rocky bvb was dit bvb wel zo.Het patriottisme druipt er sterk af en het dramagehalte is groot. Maar ook het Amerikaanse team is tof met 5 verschillende persoonlijkheden die ieder op hun beurt wel iets hebben. Spannend wordt het nooit omdat het zo clichématig en voorspelbaar is, maar leuk om volgen was het wel. En ook vandaag nog eens voor een keertje ... James Earl Jones is mooi gecast als harde gedisciplineerde coach. Zijn stem is echt geweldig en straalt veel autoriteit uit. Ideaal trouwens ook als Darth Vader.De sportiviteit loopt op het einde hélemaal uit de hand, maar gelukkig hebben we dan toch al wat leuke gevechten achter de rug. Fijn om nog eens te zien, maar best niet te veel bij nadenken.
Zachary Siegel, a senior at Lebanon Trail High School and president of the Best Buddies chapter on his campus, also gave a shout out to the crowd and thanked them for their support. He went on to share the story of meeting his best friend, Jace Nyland Rathke.
1989 Bordeaux wine provided numerous examples of stellar Bordeaux. But with the notable exception of Chateau Haut Brion, it is a year where the best 1989 Bordeaux wine was not made by the First Growths. 1989 Bordeaux wine is in large shaped by the fact that the Merlot was favored over Cabernet Sauvignon. The reason for that is, numerous Left Bank chateaux harvested their Cabernet Sauvignon before the grapes had the chance to reach full maturity. The Merlot set a record for alcohol levels at that time, reaching between 13.5% to almost 15% for some vats! That level of ripeness and alcohol was unequaled in those days.
1989 Bordeaux also marked a return to greatness for several estates that are now producing very sought after wines. For example; Chateau Angelus, Chateau Montrose, Chateau Lynch Bages, Chateau Pichon Baron, Tertre Roteboeuf, and Chateau Troplong Mondot all produced their best wine in decades! 20 years later, many of the best wines are mature and offer compelling tasting experiences. Only a few wines demand additional cellaring. 1989 Bordeaux wine was also a very strong vintage for the sweet white Bordeaux of Sauternes and Barsac. While not as concentrated as the sweet wines from 1988 or 1990, there is perhaps a bit more acidity and lift to the wines. 1989 Bordeaux also produced outstanding dry, white Bordeaux wine from Pessac Leognan appellation. 1989 Haut Brion Blanc remains one of the best, white Bordeaux wines ever produced!
1. In all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.
1. States Parties shall ensure that a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will, except when competent authorities subject to judicial review determine, in accordance with applicable law and procedures, that such separation is necessary for the best interests of the child. Such determination may be necessary in a particular case such as one involving abuse or neglect of the child by the parents, or one where the parents are living separately and a decision must be made as to the child's place of residence.
3. States Parties shall respect the right of the child who is separated from one or both parents to maintain personal relations and direct contact with both parents on a regular basis, except if it is contrary to the child's best interests.
1. States Parties shall use their best efforts to ensure recognition of the principle that both parents have common responsibilities for the upbringing and development of the child. Parents or, as the case may be, legal guardians, have the primary responsibility for the upbringing and development of the child. The best interests of the child will be their basic concern.
1. A child temporarily or permanently deprived of his or her family environment, or in whose own best interests cannot be allowed to remain in that environment, shall be entitled to special protection and assistance provided by the State.
(c) Every child deprived of liberty shall be treated with humanity and respect for the inherent dignity of the human person, and in a manner which takes into account the needs of persons of his or her age. In particular, every child deprived of liberty shall be separated from adults unless it is considered in the child's best interest not to do so and shall have the right to maintain contact with his or her family through correspondence and visits, save in exceptional circumstances;
(iii) To have the matter determined without delay by a competent, independent and impartial authority or judicial body in a fair hearing according to law, in the presence of legal or other appropriate assistance and, unless it is considered not to be in the best interest of the child, in particular, taking into account his or her age or situation, his or her parents or legal guardians;
The acting may not be the best, the training doesn't always seem the most serious (even it has an inspiring Rocky-type 'you-can-do-it' undertone) but the fights are for real. This at a time when martial art movies in general, or rather martial art movies in the US usually featured super-finishing-crane-kick-type Karate Kid super moves and not very hardcore martial arts at all. But I'm glad to see there were exceptions... even if they still dealt with certain stereotypes to cater to the American audience.
The final battle between US and Korea is one to look out for. Maybe one to skim for if you don't feel like watching the rest of the movie, but I did enjoy it all. The training is more corny than seriously straining, and the characters are stereotypes of their time and trade, but you do bond with the guys throughout their struggles! As they strive for the win, to become the best, of the best, of the best? It's a test! And this is the first in a quadrilogy of movies so I'm looking forward to those too. Good watch.
Acrofatic: Travis is on the pudgy side, but is no less skilled in combat than his thinner counterparts.
Badass Bookworm: Virgil looks the part, being a skinny, quiet guy with glasses who is a practicing Buddhist, yet also a skilled enough martial artist to make America's Tae Kwan Do team. Downplayed when he ends up on the wrong end of a Curb-Stomp Battle in the competition itself.
Bar Brawl: The team goes to a bar to unwind, Travis hits on the bright idea of dancing with a pretty young woman. When her boyfriend comes back and sees the two dancing, everything quickly turns into a chaotic brawl.
Brick Break: Occurs twice in the film; once during a demonstration by Ms. Wade, and again in the tournament itself. Also doubles as Chekhov's Skill.
Casualty in the Ring: Years before the start of the film, Tommy's brother died in a match with Dae Han.
Creator's Culture Carryover: The South Korean Tae Kwon Do team is cheered for their country as "Korea, Korea!" while it should've been "Hanguk, Hanguk!" "Daehan Minguk," being another possibility.
Defeat Means Friendship: Though which team was truly "defeated" is something of a matter for debate, it remains that the way Tommy spared Dae Han's life in the final match (at the cost of the American team's victory) impressed Dae Han enough not only for him to express remorse for his earlier killing of Tommy's brother, but to offer himself as a brother to Tommy. The rest of the South Korean team then approach the other American fighters in a display of friendship.
Determinator: Despite dislocating his shoulder, Alex Grady refuses to give up or let his bad shoulder end his dreams a second time, and demands that it be popped back into place. He then continues the match with one arm in a sling, and manages to win.
In the final match, Tommy and Dae Han endure an almost ridiculous amount of punishment from each other, with neither yielding.
Exposed to the Elements: The Korean team trains shirtless in the snow chopping trees with the back of their hands.
Eyepatch of Power: Dae Han, the leader of the South Korean team, sports an eyepatch. In accordance with the trope, he both is a badass fighter and is never depicted having any problems with depth perception.
The Generic Guy: Four of the five members of the American team either have a character arc, or at least some sort of characteristic that humanizes them and makes them stand out for the audience. Tommy has the potential to be the team's best fighter, and he has to wrestle with the fact that his older brother died in a competitive fight and Tommy is going to be facing the man who killed his brother. Alex is the older veteran, who is struggling to come back from an injury that should have ended his career and who has to balance the responsibilities of having a family and a son while taking one last shot at an athletic career. Travis is a Boisterous Bruiser and a stereotypical American hothead and trash talker. Virgil is the exact opposite, coming off as a surprisingly quiet, seemingly nerdy and mild mannered guy for a fighter who's also a practicing Buddhist, something that marks him as unusual. The fifth member of the team, Sonny Grasso, is... just kind of there. The closest thing he gets to characterization is coming off as something of a Casanova Wannabe when he's puzzled at the fact that women aren't throwing themselves at him in the bar despite the fact that he's Italian. The other members of the team promptly note that even Virgil is having better luck.
"Hey, You!" Haymaker: Attempted when an angry bar patron tries to take revenge on Travis for dancing with his girlfriend. Subverted when Travis ducks, leaving her to take the punch that ultimately leads to a Bar Brawl.Travis: Well, that's a good move, Burt! Don't take any lip from her.
Hidden Heart of Gold: For all his ruthlessness, Dae Han is revealed to regret having killed Tommy's brother, and cares enough about honor to forfeit his medal to Tommy, who "saved a life in defeat".
Hot-Blooded: Travis is a hothead who tends to shoot off at the mouth, either by making smartass remarks or engaging in Trash Talk.
It's Personal: Tommy isn't just interested in winning the competition, he wants revenge on Dae Han for the death of his brother.
Jerkass: Travis is far and away the most antisocial of the American fighters, although he steadily becomes more supportive of the team as the story progresses.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Coach Couzo presents himself as a callous hardass who only cares about winning, throwing Alex off the team when he leaves to visit his injured son and placing Tommy against Dae Han despite knowing that Dae Han killed Tommy's brother. It's all a facade to ensure his students do their best and remain safe, since going too easy on his students in his youth led to the death of Tommy's brother.
Dae Han. He's quite smug and a dirty fighter, but does have a sense of honor, giving his medal to Tommy after the latter spared his life. He also apologizes for killing Tommy's brother and offers himself as a brother to Tommy.
Travis spends most of the film being a dick to his teammates and everyone else. But once Alex and Tommy are kicked off the team, he implores the coach to bring them back and makes peace with them when they return.
Limited Reference Pools: All throughout the movie, the sport of Tae-Kwon-Do is constantly referred to as Karate, even though it is blatantly obvious what it is supposed to be, as it is the South Korean national sport where the South Koreans are powerhouses on the international scene. Also, anyone who has the tiniest familiarity with Karate and Tae-Kwon-Do can tell the two apart at a glance, but it was the 80s and Karate was far better known in the US.
Meditating Under a Waterfall: The South Korean Taekwondo team is shown standing under a waterfall during their training.
Meta Casting: At the end of the film after the big match, Dae Han apologies to Tommy for the death of Tommy's brother and offers himself to act as a brother to Tommy. The actors playing Tommy and Dae Han are real life brothers.
My Greatest Failure: Frank Couzo coached the team that Tommy's older brother was on, and blames the death on himself due to going too easy on his students in training.
Politically Incorrect Hero: Travis. Aside from being a vulgarity-spewing jerkass in general, an early scene has him attempt to rile Tommy up with a blatantly racist joke. As noted elsewhere, he steadily grows into less of a jerkass, to the point of imploring Coach Couzo to let Tommy (and Alex) stay on the team.
Second Place Is for Winners: The first Best Of The Best offered one of the most famous examples of this trope. The American team loses the tournament because Tommy has beaten Dae Han to the verge of death, but refrains from delivering another strike even though it would give his team the points they needed to win. At the award ceremony, the South Korean fighters are sufficiently impressed with Tommy's honorable act that they give their medals to the American fighters.
Title Drop: During Couzo's speech to the team, as quoted above.
Training Montage: Both the American and Korean teams get several of these, and they take up a not-insignificant amount of the film's running time.
Trash Talk: Travis freely dispenses this whenever he (or the team) are challenged.Travis: Yeah! Drop him like a toilet seat, Tommy!
Underdogs Never Lose: Zig-zagged because the underdog American team did lose, if only because Tommy was too honorable to keep attacking (and scoring) when Dae Han was almost dead. However, the South Korean team are so impressed by this act that they give their medals to the American team anyway.
Unusually Uninteresting Sight: When the American team gets into a massive Bar Brawl, Couch Couzo sits at the bar passively, watching all the violence around him with a bored expression.
Villainous Valor: Dae Han is the chief antagonist as the captain of the South Korean team, and is repeatedly shown to be a ruthless and dirty fighter with seemingly few scruples. However, nobody can deny that the man has courage and determination, because as his bout with Tommy increasingly turns into a one-sided beatdown with Dae Han on the receiving end, the man keeps coming back for more. Tommy deals out ludicrous amounts of punishment and Dae Han gets back up every time, launching increasingly desperate attempts to counterattack or to simply stay conscious and alive long enough to secure victory for his team. Despite coming dangerously close to literally dying in the ring and taking a beating that probably shaved years off his life, Dae Han refuses to give in before the final buzzer sounds. His tactics during the match may have been despicable, but he clearly has a Rocky level of grit.
The X of Y: Used for the title.
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