Improved action oriented sequel to the sleeper hit "Best of the Best" ('89), bringing back most of its cast & crew, including director Bob Radler and stars Eric Roberts, Phillip & Simon Rhee, Edan Gross and Chris Penn with Rhee reprising his duties as the main actor and co-producer.
After the events of the first film, the American 'champions' (by heart), Alexander Grady (Roberts), Tommy Lee (Rhee) & Travis Brickley (Chris Penn) set up a martial arts Dojo in Vegas. Troublemaker Travis is secretly fighting at "The Coliseum", a bloody underground full contact competition ruled by the undefeated champion, Brakus (Ralf Moeller) and his ruthless partner Weldon (Wayne Newton). When Travis is merciless killed by Brakus in the arena and Alexander's son, Walter (Edan Gross) witness it, he became a target and the survivors must fight back to protect themselves and revenge their friend...
"Best of the Best 2" offers a change of pace from the previous film, it's less drama oriented and more focused on the action and the displaying of skilled martial arts choreography, once again courtesy of the brothers Rhee. Phillip Rhee looks even in a better shape here and his moves and techniques are a joy to watch.
Eric Roberts' role, besides the top billing over the title, is less prominent than the first, he's merely a sidekick to Rhee, and in the 4 years gap between the two movies he forgot how to move (and the writers forgot his shoulder injury...), but he was still in great shape to a 37 years' old when this movie was made.
The late Chris Penn was in just for the extended cameo and the new addition to the cast, James (played by the late great Sonny Landham from "48 Hrs.", "Predator" & "Firewalker") is one of the best things about this sequel, he stole all the scenes he was in.
The villains are excellent in their wickedness: an impressive debut movie for the former German competitive bodybuilder. Ralf Moeller ("Universal Soldier" and later became Russell Crowe's protector in "Gladiator"); the always sleazy Patrick Kilpatrick; Nicholas Worth and the actor, singer and entertainer, Wayne Newton in a similar role that he played in "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane" ('90).
Meg Foster plays Eric Roberts' love interest, but her role is as much important to the plot as Louise Fletcher's playing Roberts' mother in the original, almost non-existent. Simon Rhee appears briefly, and more towards the end, but this time as an allied to our protagonists.
"Best of the Best 2" moves at a nice pace and keeps the viewer fan of this genre entertained, it's much more 90-ish in tone, attitude, atmosphere and fashion than the original, in the course of 4 years the world changed and the 80's started to disappear (even Roberts sports a short hair in this one). I give it a 7,5, because it lost the 'freshness' of the original film and the absence of some of the main cast (they aren't even mentioned like they didn't exist), but the producers compensate the lack of James Earl Jones, Sally Kirkland and Louise Fletcher with a roll of new characters played by some charismatic 'bad ass' actors.
Followed by two 'direct-to-video' sequels with Phillip Rhee returning as Tommy Lee and serving as the producer and director.
After the events of the first film, the American 'champions' (by heart), Alexander Grady (Roberts), Tommy Lee (Rhee) & Travis Brickley (Chris Penn) set up a martial arts Dojo in Vegas. Troublemaker Travis is secretly fighting at "The Coliseum", a bloody underground full contact competition ruled by the undefeated champion, Brakus (Ralf Moeller) and his ruthless partner Weldon (Wayne Newton). When Travis is merciless killed by Brakus in the arena and Alexander's son, Walter (Edan Gross) witness it, he became a target and the survivors must fight back to protect themselves and revenge their friend...
"Best of the Best 2" offers a change of pace from the previous film, it's less drama oriented and more focused on the action and the displaying of skilled martial arts choreography, once again courtesy of the brothers Rhee. Phillip Rhee looks even in a better shape here and his moves and techniques are a joy to watch.
Eric Roberts' role, besides the top billing over the title, is less prominent than the first, he's merely a sidekick to Rhee, and in the 4 years gap between the two movies he forgot how to move (and the writers forgot his shoulder injury...), but he was still in great shape to a 37 years' old when this movie was made.
The late Chris Penn was in just for the extended cameo and the new addition to the cast, James (played by the late great Sonny Landham from "48 Hrs.", "Predator" & "Firewalker") is one of the best things about this sequel, he stole all the scenes he was in.
The villains are excellent in their wickedness: an impressive debut movie for the former German competitive bodybuilder. Ralf Moeller ("Universal Soldier" and later became Russell Crowe's protector in "Gladiator"); the always sleazy Patrick Kilpatrick; Nicholas Worth and the actor, singer and entertainer, Wayne Newton in a similar role that he played in "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane" ('90).
Meg Foster plays Eric Roberts' love interest, but her role is as much important to the plot as Louise Fletcher's playing Roberts' mother in the original, almost non-existent. Simon Rhee appears briefly, and more towards the end, but this time as an allied to our protagonists.
"Best of the Best 2" moves at a nice pace and keeps the viewer fan of this genre entertained, it's much more 90-ish in tone, attitude, atmosphere and fashion than the original, in the course of 4 years the world changed and the 80's started to disappear (even Roberts sports a short hair in this one). I give it a 7,5, because it lost the 'freshness' of the original film and the absence of some of the main cast (they aren't even mentioned like they didn't exist), but the producers compensate the lack of James Earl Jones, Sally Kirkland and Louise Fletcher with a roll of new characters played by some charismatic 'bad ass' actors.
Followed by two 'direct-to-video' sequels with Phillip Rhee returning as Tommy Lee and serving as the producer and director.