Sure it was cheesy but what did you expect, an Oscar award winning movie, no, you go to see this for the mindless fun it gives you, just like Rocky IV that everyone mentioned in the comments, sure story wise Rocky IV wasn't the best, but I love the fights, the training, all of that... Its a fun movie.This is my all time favorite martial arts movie, along with anything from Sho Kosugi, and Van Damme's Bloodsport and Kickboxer his other movies sucked the big one . It has great fighting scenes, decent yet predictable story, you like the characters, etc. etc. The sequels however were retarded, how an Olympian Tae Kwon Doe becomes involved in all these crazy adventures in 2,3, and 4 I don't know. I've only seen 2 out of the sequels and refuse to watch 3 and 4. Two was enough.***UPDATE: I have finally found it on DVD... got it from Best Buy for $15.***

'fake' is very difficult, ever harder than a real fight. And too all the people here who think this movie is't worth rating high, try those kicks yourselves, trust me,it's hard, even without opponent! Best of the best rules!!!

overnight throw-togethers like Best of the Best 2, or Best of the Best 4, then you're really missing out...because Best of the Best is absolutely nothing like the sequels. Best of the Best 3 was alright, but that one too is nothing at all like the first one.This isn't some piece of crap that was thrown together overnight like 90% of all action films are. This movie is truly a quality film. The makers of this film really put their effort and time into making sure this was a quality film...everything including the excellent fight scenes, the training scenes, the great music, and the emotional moments as well. There is actually an important message about life in this movie. You know, once I think about it, I really can't think of one bad thing to say about this movie. I loved this movie ever since I was a kid and I still rent it sometimes.

While the training and character building are good, and do make you care to some extent about the Americans, the entire movie is really all about the final fights. They are technically brilliant and very well shot. The second to last fight will send tingles down your spine, and the final fight - well, my wife hates this sort of movie but even she was in tears at the end.I liked this movie a lot. It's in my collection and my advice to anyone who enjoys a good fight film is to give this a chance.

essence of traditional Tae Kwon Do.James Earl Jones and Chris Penn add a nice touch of humour throughout the film and the way director, Bob Radler, inter-weaves the stories of the fighters is wonderfully done.With the unusual twist at the end this film has to be one of the best martial arts films of all time. Apart from some shady acting at times and an 'over the top' fight with Alex at the end, this film is what every martial art fan dreams about.A definate must even if your not a martial art fan.

Korean martial artists.Just one thing though: It's not Karate they're training in; it's Tae Kwon Do, which is Korean! Much more, why would Korean fighters be training in an Okinawan art? What's going on here? Tae Kwon Do is constantly referred to as Karate throughout "Best of the Best" and its sequels. The best of these Korean Tae Kwon Do artists is Dae Han Simon Rhee , a one-eyed "Karate" machine who accidentally killed the older brother of American martial artist Tommy Lee Phillip Rhee during a match, and he carries that guilt on his shoulders of having to watch his brother die. Coach Couzo Jones , his assistant Don Tom Everett , and their trainer Sally Kirkland have the duty of assembling Lee and four others to fight in Seoul: Single-dad Alex Grady Eric Roberts , Travis Brickley Christopher Penn , Virgil Keller John Dye , and Sonny Grasso David Agresta . Their training regiment is long and difficult, with scenes inter-cut with that of the Korean fighters showing off their skills, jump-kicks and board breaks and all, leaving us wondering if our boys are really ready for Tae Kwon Do in its purest form.It should come as no surprise to drama hounds that they don't like each other and come from all walks of life. They have their personal squabbles too, like Alex's son is hurt in an accident and he himself struggles with an old sports injury, Travis's racist remarks only burden Tommy even further and alienate the men even more, and it's obvious that Couzo is hiding some skeletons in his closet as well. But once they learn to come together and act as a team, they'll manage all right that's "Best of the Best's" message .Considering that "Best of the Best" has not gotten much attention, it is surprisingly well-made, well-written with a story by Phillip Rhee himself and Paul Levine, who also worked on the script , and watchable. You do make a genuine connection with the characters some are more developed than others , and you even feel for the Korean team at some points. The Koreans aren't some evil force out to conquer the world, but still aren't to be taken lightly because they're every bit as dedicated to winning as the Americans are. The script is uneven and the direction fades at different times, but these only seem to be minor obstructions from enjoying the picture.What it boils down to, ultimately, is a brutal full-contact tournament between the 10 members of both teams; the Koreans are fighting for national pride, while we're simply fighting for the right to be called the "best of the best." We take a beating, all right, but there is something genuinely heartwarming about the ending, that will be left up to the viewer to see. What is most unexpected about this ending and events leading up to it, is that during an era rife with xenophobia and American jingoism, Radler's film sweeps all that stuff aside in favor of a somewhat balanced portrait of the other side. Bravo.8/10