"Best of the Best" from 1989 is a VERY well done film.
This is a review of "Best of the Best 2," so I will keep my summary of the first one short, but here it goes: BEST OF THE BEST is one of the very few movies that has emotionally touched and moved me. I can watch that film any day of the week, and each and every time, it leaves me happy, inspired, feeling good. It is a PERFECT "feel good about yourself" movie, and it is just PHENOMENAL with its writing and storyline. It has morals of brotherhood and teamwork, and it is just a FANTASTIC film.
"Best of the Best 2" on the other hand...different story. I normally am a HUGE action movie guy. I love action movies to no end. "Best of the Best" was one of the very few movies to be mostly a drama, centered around the characters, and to move me as it did. Best of the Best 2 takes everything about the first movie that did that....and DESTROYS it.
The plot, is basically just Rocky IV. Chris Penn of the first film is killed, so Phillip Rhee & Eric Roberts want revenge. Thats it. There is a completely over-drawn sequence where Tommy is being reunited with his family, and dealing with his alcoholic uncle James (Sonny Landham). That part is a bit too drawn out, and takes away from the films pacing. But basically, its a "fight for your life" movie, with ZERO morals and ZERO values, like the first one had. To me, that was an ENORMOUS disappointment, so see the likable characters from the first, emotionally driven movie, placed in a Gladiator-arena fighting movie.
As an action movie, it is not bad, some very grizzly scenes where Rhee breaks limbs of other "gladiators," but I HATED how the film destroyed everything that made the first one such a powerful film.
The end title song "(To Be) The Best of the Best" is a pretty inspirational, solid, soft-rock anthem performed by Mark Free, that is definitely a highlight of the movie...I just highly preferred the first film to this, because this delivers (besides fight scenes) close to NOTHING the original had to offer. Not a bad action movie, but I did not like it as the sequel to "Best of the Best." Perhaps if it was a stand- alone movie.
4/10
This is a review of "Best of the Best 2," so I will keep my summary of the first one short, but here it goes: BEST OF THE BEST is one of the very few movies that has emotionally touched and moved me. I can watch that film any day of the week, and each and every time, it leaves me happy, inspired, feeling good. It is a PERFECT "feel good about yourself" movie, and it is just PHENOMENAL with its writing and storyline. It has morals of brotherhood and teamwork, and it is just a FANTASTIC film.
"Best of the Best 2" on the other hand...different story. I normally am a HUGE action movie guy. I love action movies to no end. "Best of the Best" was one of the very few movies to be mostly a drama, centered around the characters, and to move me as it did. Best of the Best 2 takes everything about the first movie that did that....and DESTROYS it.
The plot, is basically just Rocky IV. Chris Penn of the first film is killed, so Phillip Rhee & Eric Roberts want revenge. Thats it. There is a completely over-drawn sequence where Tommy is being reunited with his family, and dealing with his alcoholic uncle James (Sonny Landham). That part is a bit too drawn out, and takes away from the films pacing. But basically, its a "fight for your life" movie, with ZERO morals and ZERO values, like the first one had. To me, that was an ENORMOUS disappointment, so see the likable characters from the first, emotionally driven movie, placed in a Gladiator-arena fighting movie.
As an action movie, it is not bad, some very grizzly scenes where Rhee breaks limbs of other "gladiators," but I HATED how the film destroyed everything that made the first one such a powerful film.
The end title song "(To Be) The Best of the Best" is a pretty inspirational, solid, soft-rock anthem performed by Mark Free, that is definitely a highlight of the movie...I just highly preferred the first film to this, because this delivers (besides fight scenes) close to NOTHING the original had to offer. Not a bad action movie, but I did not like it as the sequel to "Best of the Best." Perhaps if it was a stand- alone movie.
4/10