Best Of The Best 2 (1993): definitely a title I saw in a video store magazine as a kid and was like, “There was a Best Of The Best 1?” Thanks to a VHS rip on YouTube, I know all about the first movie now, which I did enjoy, a late-1980s martial arts melodrama with an eclectic cast (Eric Roberts, Christopher Penn AND James Earl Jones), Eric Roberts’ flowing mane of hair, and the surprisingly sincere climax; a project based on martial arts star Phillip Ree repping USA in Taekwondo against South Korea in the Asian Games. In the sequel, what was a cheesy sports melodrama on the level of a Rocky sequel takes a sharp neck-snapping turn into a series of action movie cliches involving an underground (both secret and actually underground) tournament in Las Vegas where people fight to the death and Wayne Newton is the villainous MC and host. Rhee, Roberts (sadly with his mane cut short) and Penn run a dojo in Las Vegas, raising Roberts’ kid in the ways of being the best of the best, when Penn decides to throw his shit-kicker cowboy hat into the ring of this illegal underground death match where high rollers gamble big. The ruling champ is played by Ralf Moeller (one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s pals) who is similarly a muscular German bodybuilding giant. When Penn meets a grisly fate and Roberts’ kid witnesses the crime, Roberts and Rhee go full double dragon, beating up henchmen with roundhouse kicks and going on the run, with Moeller on a vengeful hunt because his face got scratched in a fight. Thankfully Rhee was adopted by a family of Native Americans and he reunites with his step brother, a hectic Sonny Landham (from 48 HRS and Predator) who kicks his own drinking habit to lead Rhee and Roberts into a series of training montages, to be even better than the best of the best. This was DTV action movie cliches galore, though quite violent, and a lot of fun, particularly if you like seeing Eric Roberts kick butt either in double denim or a white tuxedo. Rhee is a great fighter and takes care of business in the climactic series of fights. Closing credit song ‘To Be The Best Of The Best’ is a stirring powerballad anthem with overly sincere lyrics (“Reach for the sky, on the wings of your dreams you can flyyyyy….”). Directed by Robert Radler who made the first one and costars Meg Foster, Patrick Kilpatrick and even Roberts’ Runaway Train scriptwriter/mentor/ex-con/author Edward Bunker gets a small role as a lighting technician. Available to stream on Tubi. Recommended.
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