Best of the Best 2

R 5.6
1993 1 hr 41 min Action , Thriller

In an underground fight club, blackbelt Travis Brickley is killed after losing to the evil martial arts master Brakus. Travis' death is witnessed by Walter Grady, the son of his best friend Alex Grady. Alex and his partner, Tommy Lee, vow to avenge their friend's death by defeating Brakus and shutting down the fight club.

  • Cast:
    Eric Roberts , Phillip Rhee , Chris Penn , Edan Gross , Ralf Moeller , Meg Foster , Sonny Landham

Reviews

AniInterview
1993/03/05

Sorry, this movie sucks

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Chirphymium
1993/03/06

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

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Lachlan Coulson
1993/03/07

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

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Brenda
1993/03/08

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

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Bezenby
1993/03/09

Somehow the makers of the first film saw way into the future and noticed me whining like a beeyatch about how Best of the Best was played too straight and didn't have enough action in it, because the sequel is all about the action! Tommy Lee, Eric Roberts, and Chris Penn are back as our Tae Kwon Do trio, now running a martial arts school. Chris, however, is bored of the antics and heads off to a place called The Coliseum, where folks basically fight for cash. Chris reckons he can take on the owner, a man so muscly he looks like a rubber glove filled with walnuts. This is Brakus, who thinks guns aren't manly enough. Chris doesn't do too well in the fight and the last time we see him he's being lowered into the ground in a box. Luckily he was stupid enough to take Eric's kid along to the fight so now Tommy and Eric are all out to get Brakus.It gets better when Tommy smashes Brakus' face against a mirror and now Brakus has a scar on his face and ends up pouting around the place in a dressing gown staring into a mirror and just getting madder and madder. So Tommy and Eric want to kill Brakus and Brakus wants to kill everyone related to Tommy and kill Tommy in the ring at the Coliseum.If you hadn't guessed already Tommy was raised by native Americans and everyone heads off to stay with them for a while a get trained up to fight Brakus by Sonny Landham of all people! That'll be Billy from Predator to you and me (before I looked up his name). Before I knew it I was shouting "Jeez you got a big pussy!" which is why my neighbours now look at me as if I'm nuts.They all have a friendly punch up and then it's montage time! This time round the film get it right, and just in time too before some of Brakus' men arrive in a helicopter and seemingly kill everyone except Tommy (Billy himself goes down fighting in an impressive Massimo Vanni style shoot-out). There's also a massive explosion for all those massive explosion fans out there.So now Brakus has Tommy to fight in the ring and Tommy thinks everyone's dead, so all he's got left is the motivation to kick Brakus in the face several thousand times. Didn't feel like Brakus thought that one through too much.This film is a lot more fun that the last one and is non-stop action and cheese from start to finish. A total winner! Even Eric's hair is more dynamic and manageable this time round.

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Comeuppance Reviews
1993/03/10

Now here's a classic! In this lovably absurd sequel to Best of the Best (1989), illegal, underground Punchfighting matches are taking place in a secret club called The Coliseum. The front is a Las Vegas dance club called The Stock Exchange, but behind the scenes, "Gladiator Fights" are taking place (remember, at this time, the TV show American Gladiators was huge). Specifically, fighters dress up in absurd outfits and pummel each other to death. The star of the show is the arrogant, powerful and unbeatable soulless automaton Brakus (Moeller).When the likable Travis Brickley (Penn) dies at the hands of the nefarious Brakus, only fellow fighter Alex Grady, his young son, inexplicably named Walter (Gross), and of course Tommy Lee (Rhee) can get to the bottom of this illegal Punchfighting operation. To do this, they head out to the desert so James (Landham) can help them train. Oh, and one more thing...WAYNE NEWTON is the head of this evil hydra.Only in the early 90's could a mix of utter silliness and brutal violence come together like this. Not only that, but we feel this movie was instrumental in promoting the Punchfighting genre. The Best of the Best series was surprisingly popular in video stores and on cable channels, and many people first got their taste of Punchfighting because of them. So for that, they deserve a lot of credit. Additionally, this was a time in which filmmakers felt that they should get quality actors and teach them to fight, instead of the other way around. That they should get Eric Roberts and Chris Penn, instead of any old meathead. And at least here, the formula works great.And when I think "action movies" I immediately think "Wayne Newton". Newton is a showbiz professional and gives his all here, and he, for whatever reason, really seems to care. he gives an energetic, big performance, and his presence sets the movie apart and makes it really enjoyable. And while it's great to see Chris Penn, Wayne Newton, Walter the kid (who looks more like a 35 year-old stunted adult), who loves his Tetris, and Eric Roberts, complete with his tomato apron, AND Phillip Rhee, Sonny Lanham, Meg Foster and Nicholas Worth, lest we forget....BRAKUS? The writers of this movie must really be proud that they came up with the name Brakus, because it is said a minimum of 36 times throughout the movie. Ralf Moeller plays the classic German baddie, and a lot of Best of the Best 2 is lifted from Rocky IV (1985). The invincible Teutonic muscleman is the antagonist, and our heroes must go out into the wilderness to train to beat him (why are Phillip Rhee's relatives Indians for some reason?), and of course the parallels between Apollo Creed and Travis Brickley.There are many funny bits, Eric Roberts seems tipsy (if not drunk) throughout the movie, and all is well and good, but even as lovable as it is, it is a bit overlong. If the movie had been chopped down by about 10-15 minutes, we'd be dealing with an even bigger classic. But this is one David and Goliath tale that can certainly withstand multiple viewings.Featuring the memorable title song by Mark Free, Best of the Best 2 just narrowly makes it into the ranks of a must-see.

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pmacattack84
1993/03/11

If you want to talk about a movie that's a black hole for careers, let's talk about Best of the Best 2. Director Robert Radler wound up working on Power Rangers episodes, Eric Roberts usually appears in magazines making jealous comments about his much more successful sister, and Philip Rhee...well, the less said about Best of the Best 3 and 4, the better. Ralf Moeller, the chief bad guy, usually winds up playing the big sidekick, most visibly in Gladiator. Ironically, he's probably made out better than anyone else involved, save for the invincible Wayne Newton.Judged by the standards of its genre, the movie isn't entirely terrible. Judging action movies on the same scale as more respectable fare is like expecting your 59 cent hamburger to taste like steak, and Best of the Best 2 is better than a lot of comparable movies I've seen. The fight scenes are refreshingly high-impact and plentiful, Newton is as deliciously slimy as Richard Dawson in The Running Man, and Moeller makes for a formidable bad guy in the ring. In these respects and others, this movie compares well with better-known movies like Bloodsport or the terrible Kickboxer.The bad parts are definitely bad, however. The script, as is usual for the genre, consists of the standard tough-guy posturing, but is not even particularly clever at that. Roberts looks like he's being directed to think about his paycheck whenever he's supposed to act happy. Rhee (the real star) does a good job in the ring, but his transformation from calm martial artist to brutal vengeance artist is not really played at all. The bad guys, other than Moeller and to some extent Newton, are completely devoid of menace. The worst part of all - and one of the most cringe-inducing scenes I've ever witnessed - is the first scene with James, where a pathetic drunk's tragic fall is played for laughs. This scene will and should offend almost anyone who understands it.On the ugly side, the movie's production design definitely reflects its budget. Best of the Best 2 looks and sounds at least 10 years older than it actually is. In style, form, and substance, it's well behind the curve. Some of the violence is really painful to watch, namely two close-ups of Rhee breaking limbs in hapkido arm locks. This is a cheap shot, but Roberts' girlfriend looks like she's about 70. All told, it is not a study in economy. Shot for about the same budget as a Star Trek: The Next Generation 2-part episode, this movie looks way worse.Is it completely terrible? Well, don't be looking for The Godfather. If some cheesy fighting is your bag, however, you're looking at the right movie. Recommended for genre diehards and 12-year-olds, but not really for anyone else.

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chicane2003
1993/03/12

This Movie is a really good movie based on the first Best of the Best.The 3 stars tommy Lee, Alex Grady and Travis Brickly is back and this time its against the brutal owner of a illegal fighting place The Collesium in Las Vegas.The Fight scenes here are fantastic and a lot better that in the first movie. Ralph Moeller (Brakus) plays really great and I can´t figure out which actor could have played his role better that he.Great scenes when Tommy and Alex is trained by a guy named James that lives at Tommy´s Granmother.And a great end where Tommy Beat all 3 gladiators at the collesium and especially then he kills Brakus by braiking his neck followed by telling the crowd that "The Collesium ....Is Closed"Its really worth to own..buy it .

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