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Best of the Best (1989)
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This week on the Everything Actioncast, Zach and Chris determine who is the Best of the Best as the 80s martial arts classic turns 35.
Starring Eric Roberts, James Earl Jones, and real-life competitive martial artist Phillip Rhee, Best of the Best is loosely based on Rhee's time in the 1980 Asia Games Tae Kwan Do championship as a member of Team USA vs South Korea. In the movie, Rhee is Tommy Lee, who is joined by Roberts' Alex Grady, Chris Penn's Travis Brickley, John Dye's Virgil Keller, and David Agresta's Sonny Grasso as the US team traveling to South Korea to battle Team Korea, led by arguably the greatest fighter in the world, Dae Han (Simon Rhee), who also just happened to kill Tommy's brother in a prior tournament. Zach and Chris talk about the many training montages and how the movie is more Rocky than Bloodsport, brick breaking, the bar brawl with Kane Hodder, Sonny and Virgil's lack of interpersonal drama to overcome, and more.
Next week, we're entering the arena and discussing Gladiator as Gladiator II hits theaters.
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Transcript
Introduction and Film Overview
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to the Everything Action Cast, the official podcast of EverythingAction.com.
00:00:18
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Everything Action Cast podcast for the week of November 11th, 2024. I'm your host Zach. And I'm your co-host Chris. Yeah, and this week we are trying to determine who is the best of the best. and we're talking cause We're talking about the 1989 classic, which celebrated its 35th anniversary this week. It came out um November 10th, 1989. So I guess it's like early Sunday, but I i guess tech people consider it Sunday. It's like the beginning of the week sometimes. But it was um yeah, it's martial arts classic. um
00:00:55
Speaker
And it also it also kind of ties into Cobra Kai, which if you're hearing in this, like Cobra Kai season six part two is ah it back on Netflix. So the next five episodes of Cobra Kai season six, and they've ah referenced best of the best quite a bit, especially like in the current season, ah Jai shows, like his ah bunch everyone best of the best is like a trading thing.
Unique Team Format
00:01:18
Speaker
So it's it's it's still relevant, ah you know, 35 years later. It's one of those movies that I guess at the time was a cult hit. I mean, I guess it was more than a cult hit because of all the followings that happened after that and the careers that took off. Yeah. But it's interesting because it's different from like all the other because, you know, obviously in the 80s, we had all the blood sport knockoffs and like you the one to punch like blood sport kickboxer and then we had all the other we had shoot fighter and like
00:01:50
Speaker
king of the kick boxers and blood fist and all these other like tournament movies. But then this one's different because it's team. it's It's it's it's more it's more of like a rocky movie than a like tournament blood sport movie. Yeah, yeah, I give you that it. It changed the formula just enough to stand out from the typical tournament fighter movie, because honestly, there's only like the one tournament in the beginning just to qualify. And the rest of it is just to beat this one team.
00:02:19
Speaker
Yeah, but's like let's let's just jump right in and talk about like the format of this tournament, because it's so it's so weird. So it's it's the US cry team versus the South Korean cry team. And apparently, it happens every three years. But it's just those two teams. They they do yeah just fight each other. And then it's five it's a five-man team. And you determine who you're going to fight ahead of time.
00:02:47
Speaker
So it's not really a tournament. you that Yeah, it's not a tournament. It's not really like, it's just like, you're going to fight this guy. You're going to fight this guy. You're going to fight this guy. And then it's like, uh, there's like the scoring. It's like the Q would have scored the team wins it. So it's not about like who who actually, if you, even if you'd like lose the match, if you've got sort of points, you're helping your team.
00:03:06
Speaker
Yeah, it's an team average.
Casting and Character Depth
00:03:08
Speaker
Yeah. Instead of the just beat the guy until submission or whatever ah the traditional kickboxer or any kind of blood sport activity. Yeah. You know, it's also weird.
00:03:22
Speaker
ah So it's not like the Olympic games. It's just sort of like, it's an open invite. It's, it's some, it's some like the U.S. and South Korea were just, just like, like one day decided like, we're going to, we're going to have our national like martial arts teams for each other. And it's not like it's the best like Taekwondo versus the best like Taekwondo of America. It's, it's just whatever your style you think, just go for it. Well, it's it's described as like a Taekwondo tournament and like the, like you know, the logline stuff, but then, yeah, everyone's all like, all the, everyone's just like, ah like some, some of the guys are karate. Some of the guys are like, you know, yeah, Taekwondo. Yeah. boy Barroom brawler. Yeah. ah And I think like Eric Roberts does an okay job as a martial artist. I think he may be a practitioner, but he is not like,
00:04:18
Speaker
Uh, Philip three, Philip Brie is like a legit, like Olympic athlete who played Tommy Lee. Yeah, yeah. He is. Yeah. He, this is apparently based on his like actual experience. Um, and like, I think it's the 1980 like South ah Asia games and he was on like the yeah United States tech window game against South Korea. I mean, it was like that. And that was like the championship for that year.
00:04:43
Speaker
But yeah, Philpree is like like, yeah, he's like a sixth level, like Taekwondo Blackbell. He's like a third level Hapikido Blackbell, like Wing Chun boxing. Like he's like a legitimate like martial artist.
00:04:59
Speaker
i don't I don't know if i don's like the Asia games played out exactly like this, but it's it's inspired by his experience. Yeah. it I was just gonna say, he's easy and he's also in he's in all four best of the best movies too. like he's low one He's the only one that wins in all four. Honestly, he's he is, should be the main star of this movie. He he kind of does at the halfway point where or like the the third act. It kind of comes out of nowhere. He ah he and aircrafts kind of like share the code because they're like they're like the two main team members that we like foul and have like actual like, you know, like dramatic story elements. But
00:05:37
Speaker
Honestly, of of what's going on, it makes the most sense to start the movie out with the truth about him. It should have started with that ice cream drop early. I don't haven't seen this it the black and white archive footage where ah Young Tommy watch his brother like get killed in the the what looks like Not even like um, like a secret Korean death tournament or anything like that. It's it's like a high school gym or sometimes Super American high school gym. Yeah, and that's and it's even they try to like add ah like
00:06:11
Speaker
uh, Sepatone to make it look like it's from like yeah the thirties, the forties, like archival footage. It just doesn't look well. Cause everyone in that audience is still wearing like nineties clothes and or like eighties clothing. And then just like they did not hire a good child actor.
00:06:32
Speaker
I have to insult that kid, but young Tommy Lee just they they tried their best to edit the thing just to make it seem sad. But honestly, like that mom character in that flashback did a way better like emoting. Yeah, um I get it. Child acting back then the standard was low. ah But it just made it seem like that could have been anyone, you know, like in in what the context is doing and how like
00:07:04
Speaker
I don't know how many rules they broke to get Tommy
Dramatic Story Elements
00:07:07
Speaker
there. Like there's probably should have been like a vetting process where it's like, Hey, isn't this like, are we really pitting like the the guy that killed this guy's brother, like in an international karate championship? Well, it's crazy cause they did don't reveal that to like halfway through the movie. Yeah.
00:07:23
Speaker
But like there's like was like there's like there's like double reveals, because the reveal, it's like halfway through, it's like, oh, by the way, Tommy's fighting the guy that killed his brother. And then- No, that's at the halfway point. Yes, yeah. yeah and but then there's But then there's like- But you don't know that. Yeah. And then there's a double reveal like right before they leave, where it's like James Earl Jones is like, oh, I coached a team that Tommy was on, like Tommy's brother was on, the that where he died. So i that's my, I bear that i bear that shame.
00:07:49
Speaker
Well, another thing is they review the footage later and it makes it seem like you didn't know? Yes, it's like like um his trainer guy, ah was it Dan? or or Don is like, hey, I found this footage of Tommy's brother getting killed. and jim Yeah, James Jones acts like, oh my god, don't show us to anybody. Keep a secret. secret But then he had to watch it again to remember, but it's something he keeps remembering. Cause it's like 15 years. it's like its That's like his entire, like that's the entire reason. Like he's so like difficult, like tough on everybody because he doesn't want anyone to like die under his watch again. Also I'm doing the math. This movie came, this is 89. So it's like 1975 that match happened. Maybe. Yeah. No, it's supposed to be 15 years since then. So Tommy had to be.
00:08:45
Speaker
like eight prop. Yeah. I think, I think, that I think, that I think they all like, like when they're like, like, um, talking about the team and everyone there, it's like all, all these young men, they're all in their like, you know, late twenties or early twenties or something. No, they're all like in their late twenties. Cause yeah, like, yeah, Eric Roberts is like his last chance. isn And then, um,
00:09:09
Speaker
the one-eye Korean guy. Daehan. Daehan. He's 35. They're like, oh my god, this like. He's an old man. Old man. I'm like, shit. You know, he's like, 35 is old back then? And then granted, Daehan, like, ah he still can kick a lot of ass. like Yeah. if if you If Tommy didn't have that, like, killer kick that he just, like, powers up. Oh my god. yeah So yeah, this movie kind of hides how powerful Tommy is, and they know that. Like, like the coaches all know Tommy somehow is like a secret power. You're holding back. Don't hold back. Yeah, if you think about your dead brother, you it's like an anime. It's like you you just unlock like the most devastating kick that could kill. Mm hmm. But he he he blow i think he does he blow up like the like the like measurement machine. Yeah. Like pressure reader. It's over 9000.
00:10:09
Speaker
Um, yeah, and he puts like the, his like teammate into like virtual, like he like knocks him a cautious cause the power of his, he wasn't ready for that kick. Yeah. Uh, and that's like, they, they reveal that like way late in the, in the movie. And I feel like we spend way too much time with Eric Roberts and his problems.
00:10:33
Speaker
So yeah and they like they kind of overcompensate later, but I get it because like Philip Reed, like he wrote this movie and then like produced it. Yeah, but it's crazy because. um Like. ah You could see that, like.
00:10:52
Speaker
He tried to keep it very simple, you know, like very, Hey, you know, this is my my real life story. There was like a team effort and I think he won his thing, but I think, I don't know if they won like the division or something.
Training and Preparation
00:11:06
Speaker
Well, it was, it's basically, yeah, it's based on like the, they got to the championship of wherever that, the Asia games, like that was the championship fight. It was team USA versus team South Korea.
00:11:19
Speaker
like 1980 something but then in this that's why it's like oh it took place in 1975 or 74 and oh by the way uh just just so we know and it's funny to think um dehan is actually so is philip reed's real brother yes simon ree uh so i just like that that's funny where it's like you killed my brother it's like i am your brother
00:11:53
Speaker
But yeah, this movie but this movie definitely has like this rhythm of like, um but you know, Rocky IV came out before this, like and people are like, you know, talking about Rocky IV is just montages. Like best of the best is but basically just montages.
00:12:08
Speaker
Like it's like it's like a montage and then we'll get like a see like a dramatic scene of like like some of the one of the team members just like resolve something or like reveal something and then another montage and then another like dramatic reveal and then another montage and then this like the final fight and I was also like I was surprised that the like so like best of the best like that you know the actual like song best of the best is only it's like they just like dump that in the middle of the movie and it's it's like a super short montage. I remember that being like much like a much bigger deal ah like that song and like like I thought like first time watching it. I remember I remember like coming back or like being like uh you know like it's like the like the song but then it's just like oh yeah just dump in like the second montage.
00:12:59
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. It is, it is kind of like pops up like randomly and it's not used at the end credits either. No. So yeah, I just kind of forget that it's just sort of there and it's your basic eighties. Like I think they told whatever artists to make a best of the best like song. Here's the lyrics, just fit it in. Stubblefield and Hall are the guys that did the best of the best.
00:13:29
Speaker
Which I think, I think think that's literally the only song they've ever done. I wonder if that was like an in-house band or a... or Or like a... Yeah, probably like studio guys or just like, yeah whatever, whoever put it out is like, hey, yeah, write us, write us the best song. And they can't use like, you're the best around.
00:14:01
Speaker
And also also yeah a lot of like country songs too. like but like i mean there's I mean, obviously there's the whole like ah the bar that it goes to. Yeah, they spend way too much part of the bar. and that That was like your standard like, let's just go to the bar and beat up the locals like an unfair fight because everyone in the bar is like a townie like drunk and then they are an Olympic like martial arts team. Yeah. Just decimating this like hometown bar.
00:14:31
Speaker
I mean, one of them is Cane Hodder. So true. But he was playing pool and like, yeah, he just wanted the guide and he didn't want Chris Penn to like Mack on his girlfriend. But they did all the wrong way to do it. Yeah. Yeah. Apparently, I think Hodder like shows up again as different characters in like two and like two and three. Like he just keeps coming back to like in like these little these little cameos and like best of the best movies.
00:14:59
Speaker
yeah
00:15:02
Speaker
I mean, it's fine. He's not, he like super stan out. And this is, this is also the, it was also the same year that, uh, Jason Dixon Hatton came out. Was it? Now that's interesting. Cause it's like, Oh, just Kane Hodder needed like a roll. He just was wandered on set.
00:15:23
Speaker
I mean, he was, I mean, I guess, I guess, like, you know, like, like, just like, you need like a guy, like like, you throw through like a table or something or throw through a wall, like.
00:15:38
Speaker
But yeah, is it yes, is you know, right, right, like the end of like the kind of classic Frederictor Teeth run before you get to like Jason X and right Jason goes to hell.
00:15:56
Speaker
And I do like that the whole reason for the bar is like James is like, this is your last night for debauchery. And then after this, you know, like he's that amazing speech of just like, no drinking, no women, no drugs. You come in late, you're done.
00:16:17
Speaker
Like he's like, he gives this movie so much gravitas. It does punch it up. yes If you didn't have him there, I think it would have been lost in the bromance of this movie, but you needed a general character, someone to command um the the like but drama. Because honestly, if it wasn't the whole like, you might die in this, and then the archival archival footage and the secrets he's keeping, like yeah it's a straight up one day karate match.
00:16:54
Speaker
for maybe this thing lasts maybe three hours. Like they flew to Korea for a three hour karate match. Yeah. And all day, yeah John's crazy compared to the other tournament movies where it's supposed to be like over a course of like a few days and multiple matches between different people. Like, and you you kind of like, don't know if all the heroes are going to make it. Yeah. This is literally like, it's like just straight up like, okay, you hit this guy at the right spot. You get a point.
00:17:26
Speaker
You know, it's not as brutal. No one's throwing sand in someone's face. No one is secretly putting glass in their hand or whatever. Yeah, this is this is this is like it's not like an underground like tournament. like it's It's being broadcast on something like yeah ESPN or like like why World of Sports? Because fucking Ahmad Rashad is there but like like commentating at all of it.
00:17:50
Speaker
Do they also show the same fight at the bar that they beat the shit out of? I think, I think it's Eric Roberts, like hometown. Cause like they keep, I think people are yelling like, yeah, go Alex. Like, yeah. I think it's always like auto working buddies. Oh, that makes more sense. I forgot that was a thing. Yeah. Yeah. Cause he was working in an auto factory in Portland, not Detroit. What you think? Like, like Sonny, Sonny is the guy that comes from Detroit.
00:18:21
Speaker
but he's not like an auto worker. He's just like a, like, I love that Sonny's only like thing is like he's Italian. This is only, it's only like characteristic. And he also has, like he has like no, like Sonny has no, like no dramatic thing to overcome. Well, his son got hit by our car off screen. That was sorry. I was talking about like Sonny, like the Italian guy. Oh, he's from Detroit. Yeah.
00:18:47
Speaker
I'm saying it's weird that Alex is from Portland, but he's an auto worker. You think he would be the one from Detroit? because Right. I think they essentially he probably was like the same, like the same character. Then for whatever reason, they just, okay, no, let's, let's separate this. Yeah. but yeah so he's Like Sonny is like, yeah, he has, he has no, like he has no conflict with anybody. He doesn't have any sort of like dramatic thing to overcome. he He's the first one to fight and he loses in the tournament. let's just Like he's just such like a, he's like the weakest link of the whole team.
00:19:18
Speaker
He, it's like he, he and Virgil have like no, nothing to overcome you like for like a dramatic thing. Virgil gets laid. Yes. And that was before even the the the whole tournament started. So he was done. He just, he already achieved what he wanted out of this. And then, and then he just had to get more Zen cause he's already Zen cause he's a Buddhist, but then he just had to learn how to be even more Zen from say like Kirkland.
00:19:45
Speaker
you know it's funny like in in essence we're kind of skipping the highlight of how this happens but it doesn't really matter because everyone meets because they essentially just had to win a qualifying match and it was like one day of just matches. Like even in the beginning, it wasn't even that much of a montage. It was like, here are all the winners. first pen gets a die because I loved it. Like the main five guys just like wreck shop. Like it's like not even like, it's not even a question of who's going to win. Like those five guys just come in and just like fucking wreck everybody. I mean, they're all a good. There were guys there that had like moves, but yeah, I still can't understand why Travis won. Like yeah, you got on the team.
00:20:30
Speaker
Yeah, he didn't win. He's not like a karate guy. He's just like a brawler, basically. But I think because they saw Bloodsport, I think they had just the American brawler. They just mimicked that. Yeah. I think this was Chris Penn's first movie. I think this is his first starring role.
00:21:00
Speaker
Because I think there's like, an there's like, an there's like introducing, uh, like Christopher Penn credit. Yeah.
00:21:10
Speaker
But but like it's like, yeah, like like his his thing, he's overcome as like racism. Like not, not be it like a racist asshole.
00:21:21
Speaker
Which is like, which like it's so it's like compared to like Alex, Alex whose son gets like hit by a car and then Tommy who's like his brother is like overcome like the guy that killed his brother and then it's like, Travis you don't stop being an asshole.
Tournament and Climax
00:21:38
Speaker
and then I also love like everything gets resolved like they spend like the first hour of this movie like with all this like all the training montages and all like the like all this like dramatic buildup like establishing everyone's like you know whatever they have to overcome during the training and then it's like five minutes before they go to Korea everything's resolved Like it's like like travis Travis is a racist. Alex's son is fine. Tommy is like goes drives a motorcycle up to like a gas station and sees a kid. Uh, he's like brothers and ice cream and he's like, I'm okay. i'll I'll go back. And then James Jones is like, Hey, I was too hard on everybody. Like I'm going to be like a good coach now. I'll teach you the final secrets of karate.
00:22:22
Speaker
Uh, the, Yeah, like it they get resolved pretty well where by the time they get to like Korea, they're a team, but they barely were a team. but like i think Virgil and Alex are the ones who like, but not not Alex. well Tommy and Alex are our friends because they're roommates. Okay, you know um'm I'm thinking about like Virgil and Sunny.
00:22:45
Speaker
Yeah. Like they're the ones with like no problems. They were just like, that's what I'm saying. Yeah. They had like no, really nothing to like overcome. Nothing to like, they said, they said the train. Uh, I mean they just did yoga. They discovered the joys of yoga. Yeah. Yeah. Like Sally Kerwin comes in and she's basically she's like Charlie from a Top Gun versus like, Hey, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like the,
00:23:15
Speaker
even though I'm a woman, I know like a lot of karate stuff. and ah ah asia I grew up in Asia. like Yeah, she's like, oh, I've been abroad, so that makes me qualified. I mean, she's like a real She could hold her own, you know, mentally and physically, to some degree. Well, I mean, but she like, she breaks those bricks, like she breaks all the bricks and everyone's just like, oh, shit. like Yeah. But you wish Chris Penn would have paid attention to that since he had to do that. I don't know. That was like a scheduled thing or that was because it was a tie. It was, yeah, because I think it's because the round ended in a tie. The tiebreaker is ah yeah whoever breaks the bricks. Yeah. I don't know if that's like a real thing for like international karate tournaments.
00:23:58
Speaker
it's but I'm sure it's just like a thing they made up. yeah it looks hey we could go't do that We showed you that brick competition once, so we got to bring it back. so like Wouldn't they all need to be good at that? Cause it seems like they did that one brick contest and that was it. Yeah. I don't think, I don't think we we ever see that any of them ever trying to like break bricks. they Like say like her gun just breaks bricks and then everyone's just like, Oh, okay. And then they never, none of them ever do it. done Yeah. So I don't know if that was just like a cool demonstration or was that just in case you end up in a tie, but of out of everyone that might've been in case you end up in a tie, it probably would have been Tommy.
00:24:37
Speaker
You know, another thing about it, they don't really do a lot of like fighting training either. They just like, I think we see like one match where it's like, I think Travis is fighting Alex, but ah most of the training is like, is like, you know, cardio and this like, you know, like running around on track or doing like sit ups or doing like weights. Well, Tommy fights Travis. And then you see that like Tommy is like holding back and then Travis is like being like played with.
00:25:00
Speaker
Um, but Tommy, I mean, Travis should have trained better. Yeah, but yeah, that's like, that's like the only like fight we see during training. Like all the rest of us is just like generic, like workout stuff.
00:25:17
Speaker
but i do I do also love that like ah the South Korean team is full on Rocky style, where it's like they're in the snow, where they're like chop they're like hitting their they're like trying to chop cheese down with their bare hands. like They're in like waterfalls.
00:25:35
Speaker
And like ah and like the crazy like like ah like spy footage they get of them like doing their training, and they're like you're like it's like this line of guys just like chopping wooden blocks that it's like together. like ah The guys holding a block. Somebody has shoulders and the guys kicking it and stuff. oh And the footage that Korea like allowed out of their country for whatever reason, so that like other countries could study them.
00:26:03
Speaker
but What's up with that? just why Why do they have like, like are they sending VHS's out of like there theyre their training? Well it must it must be something about this like tournament or this fight because the South Korean team also knows everything about, ah as they're gonna fight. of like It's like yeah it never like, I know everything about, it's like tra Alex Grady, I know everything about you.
00:26:28
Speaker
But my my and my question is, did they have to record stuff to send to Korea? yeah that's ah is there's is there some so yeah mutual you you you' like It's like a court case. it's like You have to disclose your evidence. yeah And it's like, all right, we'll give you tape for tape of like everyone's fears and weaknesses. yeah and you know it's like Besides like your birthplace and then your training,
00:26:51
Speaker
um The Korean team definitely trained earlier into this. like i It doesn't seem like they had to kind of do their own tournament to find the best of their group. They already were the best and just like, oh, we're just like waiting for this fight. Come to us and we'll kick your ass. Yeah. They they just they never stopped training. And then it's like the five the five best guys right now are the five guys. like yeah Yeah. If anything, America kind of dropped the ball. They should have been on those earlier because
00:27:23
Speaker
Do they train for like three weeks? I think it's think it yeah i think je they have three weeks to train for the tournament.
00:27:34
Speaker
Like South Korea has been training for, you know, ever since the first, since the last, since the last tournament, which was like three years ago, they've been training nonstop. Yeah. You know, they're kind of late on that. So I just feel that's kind of fun.
00:27:56
Speaker
It's interesting it's that it's South Korea, too. if you like you'd see you think of I guess with the actual story it's based on, was but like say good you think since it's like the 80s, like Vietnam or something or Japan. or like Maybe Japan, just to rile them up again.
00:28:15
Speaker
but Yeah, I don't think it was that. because that well i think we could we we getting like This was like getting into like the the era where the US was like scared and Japan was going to take over everything.
00:28:29
Speaker
because like they were like they had like that the economic boom. Oh, no, no. they In 1987, they had a crash. Oh, so it was post that. But then also so but then this like disclosure stuff came out in the 90s. Rising Sun and stuff came out in like the I think that was the the after this, they started coming back because they fixed their crash by basically lowering the electronic costs to basically like come back um yeah as a global like ah electronic company.
00:29:00
Speaker
You know, there's like so many methods how they were able to recover. And that basically was just like sell America stuff. Like sell them ninjas. And then they basically that's how they fix their economy. Yeah. But Korea was like someone I think no one thought about in the 80s. It was just like one of those. Oh, shit. Korea's exists. Like what are they up to? Yeah.
00:29:28
Speaker
And now if you remade it, it'd probably be like North Korea, if you're gonna fight in North Korea. like It's like, North Korea's allowing us to like fight their national team or something. We have stopped them for America.
00:29:47
Speaker
But yeah, toucht tons of montages, tons of drama, and then the actual tournament. Yeah, it's hosted by Ahmad Rashad, who is... like It's so weird that like they must... they like we We need someone to explain every every aspect of of this fight to like the audience.
00:30:07
Speaker
like how like Scoring and like re like reiterating who the characters are. it's like I mean the Korean team besides the one intro thing they don't talk about them until like all they only talk about is Dahan everything else is just like Guy, you know and then I think the the guy Alex fights is Apparently like the best like because I think they're also like everyone's like different weight classes apparently cuz like the other Alex fights is like it's like he's the best He's the best in the world in like whatever the weight class they're in a division. Yeah. Yeah
00:30:43
Speaker
so whole thing Yeah, the whole thing is crazy. It's like, it's like, it's a five man team, but the team is all different like divisions or weight classes. And it's it's a scoring system where you get where it's like a karate tournament scoring system where you score points for ah clean hits, but then you get more points for knockouts.
00:31:03
Speaker
I guess you win the game if you kill the person. Yeah, yeah you get like, you get like, it's like quidditch, it's like, killing is like the golden snitch. If you kill, you instantly win. Yeah. Because that's the whole thing of like, I mean, I guess, I don't know if I get to like, wear like the Deha and Tami fight, but it's like... No, we'll we'll say that until the end. Yeah. But if anything, most karate tournaments have helmets.
00:31:34
Speaker
and it seems like that's the number one thing in this whole karate thing is blows to the face so you figure after the first karate incident where someone died in like 1970 something they would and institute like a helmet rule yeah this isn't like boxing where like essentially your goal is to knock out the guy this is karate tournaments where you kind of don't want to knock out the guy because like You want to build up points of like, well, yeah, you want to build up. hits Yeah. I'm like, yeah it's a technical game where you just want to get like hits and then as many hits you can in your round. Yeah. You're right. It's like, no, that's why you don't see team boxing. That's not a thing. So yeah, so yeah, server's trying to score points, but it's like the kind of the funny thing is like none of the fights really matter except for Alex's fight and Tommy's fight.
00:32:26
Speaker
like, uh, like Sonny just fights and loses, which this is just like part of his like whole thing. I'm just like, he so he's just there. Like he's just, this is just like, he doesn't have much to do where like, it's like, isn't the great, the best fighter apparently. And then, uh, virtual also loses. And then, um, Travis is like the only one that gets a tie. And then he has to do like the, um, the brick breaking, which he like loses by one brick.
00:32:56
Speaker
which like we mentioned before like he should like if I should have paid attention more attention to I would say like he did it so like he could like break broke all the bricks yeah he didn't he didn't focus hard enough yeah it was um coincidence that um the guy who I guess like gave the least attention ended up in the like the split decision brick things. But then I guess he he he still gets points. Like he still gets the points that they. Well, they told up. Yeah. So it's like it's still just like an average of like the overall. So like but the South Korea team gets like more points because they won the tiebreaker and they got and they're still in the lead. I guess. Because the well, the big thing with Alex's fight is that he
00:33:47
Speaker
Uh, he's fighting, you know, his guy and then he, uh, his, his bad shoulder injury comes back and like, cause he gets like ax kicked to the shoulder and then it's like popped out socket. And then if he can't get back into the fight, he, they lose all the points that he built up, which he built up a bunch of points cause he scored a bunch of points against the guy. But if he like forfeits the match, then they lose all those points. And that's the whole, this whole thing of like, it's basically like his like Rocky, like cut me, Mick moment, where it's just like pop, pop that arm back in, popping it back in Tommy.
00:34:19
Speaker
Yeah, they it's really over the top. Eric Roberts, instead of doing the like, slow draw, like pain, it's frantic screaming. And um you could tell he's trying something different in his method acting.
00:34:37
Speaker
And everyone else like James Jones, everyone else is like, no, you're done, man. You're done. to Don't risk your arm. And then like, they're very calm about it. Yeah. And then he's just like, oh do Papa Tommy, Papa Tommy. I got my sons here. My my my cripple sons here. I forgot his son is just totally fine from like a comatose car accident. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He was like in a coma and then like, like, Oh, he woke up. He's fine.
00:35:01
Speaker
And then he just comes in like crutches, which is also like the crazy, like James Jones, like it's totally like 180 of like being like this like hard ass, like, Oh, you want to go see, you want to go see your six son, your team. And then like, like cut to like, he's like, Oh, I flew your son, your mother here to watch you fight Alex. Cause you're, I love you now.
00:35:26
Speaker
Because of these feelings now. Yeah, i could I confess my deepest, darkest shame, which is I let Tommy's brother die. Or he died under my coaching. So now that I confess that, I guess I'm like um ah good i'm no i'm i'm nice now.
00:35:41
Speaker
like But yeah, they pop Alex's shoulder back in.
Conclusion and Moral Victory
00:35:47
Speaker
He managed to like dance around and like survive 30 more seconds. And then they keep all those points. And then it's the big you know it's it's Tommy versus Dehan.
00:35:58
Speaker
but you know the the the revenge fights. Now, this is kind of important because do at the time, not everyone knows that these people have a history together. it I don't think, I don't really, like, any no one except like- No one did their homework on if anyone knows each other. Well, I think Dejan, they reveal at the end, like, he's like, oh, I'm sorry about your brother. like But he's also throwing out, Dejan's probably killed a lot of people. Every turn of me kills someone. Yeah, just like, oh, sorry. like you know i To you, this seems like forever. But to me, this is just a Tuesday. My kicks back then were extremely like like devastating.
00:36:47
Speaker
You think I'm deadly at 35? Imagine me at 20. Yeah, that guy was 20 when that happened. You're right.
00:36:58
Speaker
Like I've gotten soft of age, but back when I used to like kick down like boulders breaking boulders down with his bare hands. He was actually chopping those trees down. Like they were just like hitting their hands against the, like the, but like the trunks. But like back back in the day, he was like chopping them down. Yeah.
00:37:22
Speaker
But yeah, obviously, obviously the most important fight in the movie, the biggest, like, like the, like the dramatic ah conclusion. um And then I guess the point where Tony is basically knocked Dejan out, he just like he's just like stumbling around like a drunk person. And then he's basically charging up, like he's just like like ready to like unleash his like full like you know Street Fighter or Dragon Ball like power and just like to kill him.
00:37:52
Speaker
But then, but then like Alex and like, uh, you know, coach Kuzo and everyone's like, no, don't, don't kill, don't kill him, Tommy. Don't kill him. It's not worth it.
00:38:04
Speaker
Um, cause cause cause cause cause they have basically help us even like a monetize is like, what's he doing? He's helpless. You should kill him. like Knock him out. What is it? What is Tommy lee doing?
00:38:18
Speaker
But
Legacy and Speculation
00:38:19
Speaker
you know he he does like he does like he does let him live. And then they then Team USA loses by one point. I mean, he could have just pushed. Yeah, punch but score like score like two more points or one more point. do i get it to guess I guess, what would happen if they if they tie? They have to do brick breaking? like Yeah, they would have to make that.
00:38:39
Speaker
Like tired Dejan big bricks yeah bricks and it's like well at that point it's you versus the brick It's not like me trying to knock out this like I'm half unconscious man. Yeah Which I think we've been fair like Tommy made seem like he was charging up for his ult He was charging up for his ultimate kill attack Honestly, he should have just done like like a pity pushover and then like one cuz then it's like it's yeah It still would help the team America like they don't kill. Don't get just hold back. Don't kill because they mentioned like if he if he gets a knockout, they win. So yeah, if he knocked him down because he was not going to get back up again, if he like felt out again. So it's like. I don't know. It's a symbolic thing. yeah I get it. It's not supposed to be like they're the best because like of like they knew he won, but by like following the same. Yeah, they're the best, the best because of their character and their spirit.
00:39:35
Speaker
but I mean, this this tournament also killed Tommy's brother. yeah What's up with that? Was that something that in the last 15 years? No helmets, but now it's all about honor.
00:39:47
Speaker
then During the middle of the ceremony, we found out that Dejan is super broken up about it. I guess because he got his ass beaten, he's just like, oh, I'm humbled now, I'll apologize for killing your brother. Yeah, he apologized for like 15 years? Yeah, and now also, you're my brother. If you'll take me, I'm your brother now. I'm your real-life brother, but I'm also your movie brother now.
00:40:17
Speaker
call me if you need me in like a small town slash like a drug ring slash like yes all these other crazy scenarios that Tommy ends up in I don't yeah I don't think they hot shows up ready the sequels he does he does if you look it up he shows up like for three of them what I know I know this I know it's it's shocking that like Eric Roberts and like Chris Penn and like both, like they they both show up along with flip reef, like the sequel for best, best two. But Dejan shows up for three. Mm hmm.
00:41:04
Speaker
I don't think he shows up for four. Maybe he's at four because I don't see him in the credit for three, but OK. I know he shows up in more of them than you think.
00:41:17
Speaker
He's on the, he's on the crest for four either. I don't yeah don't think he comes back. What? Okay. Maybe I'm confusing him and like maybe his, like the actor actually does the stunts.
00:41:30
Speaker
Yeah. Cause it's like two is Eric Roberts, Phillip Reed, Chris Penn. And then the other two movies are just Phillip Reed, just finding himself in like weird situations in like small towns or like, uh, like misunderstands with like gangsters.
00:41:46
Speaker
Cause I think two two is like an actual, like, um, it was like another like, uh, tournament, but, but two is, two is actually more like a blood sport. Like it turns into more of a blood sport thing. Cause they, they, they're in like this underground, like Las Vegas, like, uh, fighting thing. And there's like, uh, there's like a, there's like a Kong, ah like a Kong Lee, like, uh, like guide. It's like, they have to like fight and like take down.
00:42:24
Speaker
But think I think a bunch of people were like, all all the all all these kind of like, tournament, fighting tournament movies, they eventually, if they go long enough, they eventually just turn to like, secret agents or like, just straight up action movies with like, martial arts in them. these They just drop any sort of pretense of ah like, being a tournament anymore, or like of a fighting thing. It's just, oh, like, like, ah like, Donald Dragomos is just like ah like, a spy now. He's the same character from the first Blood Fist, but now he's like, now he's a secret agent for the CIA.
00:42:54
Speaker
So, ah it's another movie that like it ends right at that like celebration point and we don't know how everyone else's life is any better or worse from this. Yeah, they should't have should have have like a like a i still shot of each person and be like, this is what happened after this tournament.
00:43:15
Speaker
Like, you know, ah Frank Kuzo goes back and trains the next group of fighters. Yeah. um Eric Roberts goes out. Alex returns back and builds more cars in Portland. Yep. Do we figure out what the hell Sonny was up to in Detroit? Yeah, I don't think we know what his job is or anything about him.
00:43:40
Speaker
Virgil just goes on like a piece thing, you know? yeah yeah like The only thing we know about Sonny is that he likes classical music, because that's when he his Walkman. He has and he he like he has like a ah collection of like v like ah cassette tapes. He's like, these are super rare, man. like He and Don are roommates, and Don's like, oh, man, I love this music. like You're awesome, Sonny. You listen to classical music. Also, why are you roommates of like the team manager? I feel like, did you, like was that a budget issue? What's going on with this training facility? Yeah, cause it was it was Alex Atani.
00:44:10
Speaker
Virgil, and Travis, and then Sunny and Don.
00:44:15
Speaker
And then Jamie Little Drone's just like, no, I run this shit. Like, I don't, i have I have my own room, yeah. I don't i't i stay here. I live nearby. I'm just going to go home every night. Or does like he live there like constantly? Yeah. He's like he's ah like a penthouse overlooking the gym. He just stands there in the dark just looking at it.
00:44:39
Speaker
drinking a whiskey ah also like in that facility during that training thing there's like way more people oh yeah there's like a there there's they have like sponsors that they they really get into they don't really like there's like that guy that comes running in and like yelling at them I guess he's like the head sponsor or something and they're like James Jones like hey I run the team my way shut up armulator yeah Like the answer to like, the answer to like, it's like the national karate board or whatever. like Oh, yeah. Right. Like it was, this was like an American sponsored league. Yeah. It was like, it was like the national karate association and that that's what that's that's who like held like that initial tournament to like get the five guys.
00:45:29
Speaker
But then I think they're sponsored by Adidas because like they're like other, other like, uh, like track suits are all Adidas.
00:45:38
Speaker
so so is This is like ah it's like a major like ah like sporting event for the US. s
00:45:49
Speaker
ah You figured to pay more sponsorship because in the Korean team, it's like that whole nation sponsored them, but America was just like, whatever. yeah want of and Like we said, it's broadcast in something. It's broadcast in international television.
00:46:08
Speaker
ah was esp Was ESPN like on like ah like on the air at the time of 1989? Yeah, ESPN's been around. Yeah. It must have been ESPN or like, I was like, what will the sports, like ABC? It was like, hey, it's Saturday afternoon. We're airing this like weird ah South Korean versus US cry tournament. Yeah, check it out.
00:46:37
Speaker
Um, you got me. I don't know why they kind of made it seem like the Americans didn't care about this when obviously they do.
Production and Cultural Impact
00:46:50
Speaker
Well, ah some some people care enough to like, yeah, yeah like, yeah, they're getting like social sponsorship and money and trading facilities. and But like JMO drones, is like you have to earn those. Cause if not, like yeah you'll get lazy.
00:47:08
Speaker
Until you're a team, you don't get your Adidas track shoots.
00:47:14
Speaker
But then Eric Roberts, time just throws Eric Roberts his when he runs off. It's like, hey, you're going to see your comatose son take your jacket so you can see that you're part of the Pride team.
00:47:34
Speaker
But does that make a big difference? Because I feel like his son, he didn't like incorporate his son into his training. It's not like the the Korean team was like, we have your son hostage. It didn't have that kind of beat. Yeah.
00:47:58
Speaker
he was He was just there in the audience to encourage Eric Roberts to like fight fight his best, I guess. Oh, you fun fact about like Eric Roberts' son in this movie,
00:48:10
Speaker
ah ah eating Eating Gross. He's the voice of like good Chucky, regular like good guy Chucky. Oh, he's like the buddy voice? He's the buddy of voice in Child's Play, yeah. Wow. That's kind of cool.
00:48:29
Speaker
I mean, that's range, but I think like he retired from acting from this, right? Like he just was like, Oh, I'm done acting. Let's see. He's done a bunch of it made stuff. He did a bunch of was the lesson he did was.
00:48:54
Speaker
He was the president of 3TAC distribution until 2016.
00:49:03
Speaker
yeah he eating gross that he did he did but He did a bunch of ah like voice stuff. and like He was flounder on like the Little Mermaid TV show. OK. He was on Pro Stars and Rin Stimpy and Tailspin. So he had a good career. Yeah.
00:49:21
Speaker
You just didn't do a karate in this karate movie. I think in the second one, he's like, he's like, he's like, cause like, I don't know how much like, like how many years it is between like the first and second one, but he's like up for like his black belt, apparently. Or test. He's testing for his black belt. And then that's like one of the, like the dramatic things of like, I was like, uh, it's like, you do your best, your best Walter. Like this, like you just got, you just got try, try your best and then you'll eventually you'll get it. Like,
00:49:50
Speaker
yes But ah yes, i think I think they'll probably do it for best of the best. It's still ah still a know barslor like it it's it's like a and if it's like it's like it's a a cult classic, but as far as like the 80s martial arts movies, like it's probably ah upper mid-tier.
00:50:12
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. It's definitely not like you're it's not the typical by the numbers movie. ah It is a little slow for the whole tournament parts. You figure it would be. Way more, I guess, like best fighting and it's like they constantly keep fighting. They're not. It's definitely definitely follows the rocky formula of like what, like 80 percent of the movies is going to be training for the fight and then the last like half hours to fight.
00:50:45
Speaker
It's it's yeah, it's not if you go to expect like a blood sport like a kick box or something, you're probably gonna be like disappointed because it's like, no, this is about a lot of training and then a lot of like carrot, like, uh, they have to overcome traumatic situations. Then it's the, the, the, the one, one tournament. But yeah, you know, like one of the but most memorable, uh, you know, Eric Roberts movies definitely, um,
00:51:11
Speaker
You know, James Jones, like, you know, who's got a RIP. You know, he's like makes everything like much like him. Him in this movie just like makes it like gives it more like, you know, yeah. And like just like makes it more memorable than it would be probably if he wasn't in it. Yeah, just because it adds that extra level of drama and tension out of nowhere. um And you wouldn't get that from just the infighting that would happen in the group, because like.
00:51:39
Speaker
They're kind of like balance. I feel like because it's five of them, Eric Roberts and Tommy are basically the same character, but then they gave him like two different problems to keep distinguishing it. I think at least like the problem of like, ah you know, like Sunny and Virgil versus like, oh, we need, uh, we got to fill this team. I don't know. Uh, what guy who's Italian? Maybe I guess. Yeah. Yeah. Just a hippie guy.
00:52:10
Speaker
But he's never the hippie. Like Virgil seems he's like like a bo he's a Buddhist and then. Yeah, I don't know. They kind of played him like a little bit autistic, like. And I think they didn't know how to like write that in the time in 1989. So they're just like, he's Buddhist. And it's like, I think it's more than that. And then this is like his Buddhism is really playing to like his like, it's not like he has like a different fight style or anything. It's just like it's like anything. Tommy should have been the Buddhist because he's like, I don't kill like unless I like push between my religion or like my my way of peace versus my desire for revenge. Right. Wouldn't that make more sense?
00:52:47
Speaker
But they gave it a Virgil who like he gets laid. he He like has friends. Yeah. And. He just sort of has nothing at stake by the end fight. It's not like he's there cheering him on. It's not like he's telling Tommy, like, you know, what would Buddha do? Yeah, he didn't have any he sort of personal like he didn't have any sort of personal flaw or like conflict he had overcome. It's like.
00:53:12
Speaker
Hey, I learned i learned learned, I did some yoga, um I met some cool guys, like I'm fighting this tournament, it's cool. like Yeah, when are we going home? Yeah. like I feel like Virgil would stay in Asia, like i'm ah I'm gonna just hang out in Asia and let' like you know go to Buddhist temples and stuff now.
00:53:35
Speaker
I like how even though they're in Korea in the plot, they just, they don't leave that gym. You know, like it's not like they, they show you more of Korea, you know, those films, wait, but all of this is filmed probably in Toronto or LA. Yeah. There's, there's no, there's no monitors that like, they go like, there should be the monitors that like drive around like Korea and be like, Oh man, look at Korea. And then like, maybe we'll learn a few things from the Nate, like the locals and we'll like incorporate that in our fight style or something.
00:54:06
Speaker
None of that plays, which is
Wrap Up and Teasers
00:54:08
Speaker
disappointing. It's like, you fly on the plane, you go right to that, you go right to that, that tournament, that tournament gym and that's it. Then you fly back. You fly back. And then maybe at the end, it should have been like one of those, like at the airport meetings or whatever. But yeah, still, still pretty fun. Still, if you haven't seen it a while, check it out. Um, I don't think it's streaming anywhere right now. you Like, like free streaming, it's like, um, you can rent it from a bunch of places like YouTube or Amazon.
00:54:39
Speaker
um But yeah, check it check it out if you haven't seen it in a while. And then they maybe also check out like the the rest of the series too, because they get they get like progressively more crazy. Oh, yeah. And we're going to keep the funding going next week, because we're going to be heading into the Coliseum and talking about Gladiator, because obviously, Gladiator 2 is coming out next week. um The big big, long-anticipated s sequel to Gladiator. So we're going to talk about the original, talk about all the all the Russell Cronus of it, all the cool Cladier fights. Walking Phoenix is like insane performance. All that stuff ah that's up next week. I had to reset all of our usual stuff out there. We got news, reviews, trailers. Actually, tons of trailers to be got. I don't know what was going on, but like a bunch of like um we got the Mission Impossible, the final reckoning trailer that's up on the site. We got a few other back in action, like the return of Cameron Diaz. ah The trailer came out this week.
00:55:38
Speaker
So I never heard us say watch those, check out some of our other features and news, all other stuff that's up there. And yeah, so for Chris, I'm Zach, and we will see you next week. more For more from Everything Action, head to www.everythingaction.com. You can also find us on Facebook at facebook dot.com slash everything dot.action, and follow us on X at Evieaction. We're also on Instagram and threads at everything.action.
00:56:06
Speaker
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