‘My name is Frank Couzo. To you, I am either Coach, or Mr Couzo...’
Rocky and The Karate Kid transformed the sports genre forever, with seemingly hundreds of boxing or martial arts films following in their wake. 1989’s Best of the Best is largely forgotten now, and this is a shame, as there is plenty to recommend it. An ensemble cast. A killer ’80s soundtrack. Some fantastic haircuts. This is the film that Street Fighter should have been. A misfit, ragtag group of strangers forced to fight for one common goal. Indeed, if you squint, you can probably just pretend that this is a Street Fighter movie such is the comparison between the two franchises…
Alex Grady (Eric Roberts) is fighting to overcome a recurring shoulder injury and to ensure a better life for his son following the death of his wife years earlier. Tommy Lee (Phillip Rhee) is fighting to avenge the death of his elder brother in a previous MMA tournament. Virgil (John Dye) is fighting in attempt to find himself (he is also a Buddhist don’t you know). Travis (Chris Penn) is fighting just because he is an asshole who loves causing trouble. Despite their differences, all these men must work together under the watchful gaze of their uncompromising coach Frank Couzo (James Earl Jones). Also along for the ride are Sally Kirkland as their spiritual leader Catherine Wade and Tom Everett as the numbers guy.
There are two type of people in the world. Those that look at that synopsis and find their eyes glazing over, and those that instead feel their pulse begin to race. I’m firmly in the latter camp. I loved this film as a kid and I still love it now. Roberts is most famous for his unbelievable work rate (he currently has 697 acting credits on IMDB), but he can be great when he wants to be, and this is absolutely one of those occasions. Earl Jones, Darth Vader himself, is also typically wonderful here, and as with all of these movies, the key is that everyone is taking this project completely seriously. And so they should – these films are art, and they are due a re-evaluation. There is a reason they were and remain incredibly popular. Not with critics perhaps, but for a whole generation of cinema goers, ’80s and ’90s action movies remain the best of the best. Now, for the sequel…