BEST OF THE BEST is an attempt to do for martial arts what ROCKY did for boxing. That is, it attempts to be a feel-good, character-based movie about endurance, loyalty and patriotism, wrapping it up into a crowd-pleasing package with some great tournament battles along the way.

It doesn't work.

I found myself bored by this uninvolving film, one that's dated in the worst way of the '80s. The fashions are ludicrous, the hairstyles ridiculous, the characters overblown and boorish. Take, for instance, Eric Roberts's supposed hero, a vain, posturing and mulleted muscleman who looks like an extra from MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE. His appearance alone encapsulates everything that's wrong with this movie.

Other characters fare no better. Phillip Rhee is underused and his character only springs to life during an unexpectedly poignant twist at the climax. James Earl Jones gets a few good speeches, but that's it. Chris Penn plays a loudmouthed jerk, and the others are bland and interchangeable.

The film meanders through one cliché to the next, with family drama interspersed with some rather dull bar-room brawls and the like. The tournament at the end strives for grandeur and excitement, but instead I was itching for it to be over so I could go to bed. ROCKY this ain't.

James Earl Jones trains a Tae Kwon Do team to take on the world champion South Korean Team.

It is a movie intended to appeal to those who enjoy watching people kick each other in the face. I am not one of those. It contains the usual subplots. Producer-co-writer-star Phillip Rhee had seen his brother killed in an earlier match. Eric Roberts gets thrown off the team when he rushes home because his son breaks a leg, and in the words of doctor Cal Bartlett, "Your son is in a coma. There appear to be no other complications." The final half hour is the brutal match.

Jones's role is a shouty one. Sally Kirkland, Chris Penn and Louise Fletcher also appear in the film. The direction appears to be competent in the face of a totally hackneyed script, and the camerawork and editing serve the film's remit. The box office was very successful.

Alex Grady (Eric Roberts) stopped competing after a shoulder injury and is now an auto worker. He gets invited to fight for one of five spots on United States Karate Team competing against South Korea. Tommy Lee (Phillip Rhee) teaches little kids in Fresno, California and forced to avenge his brother. Travis Brickley (Chris Penn) is rash, Virgil Keller is a Buddhist, and Sonny Grasso is from Detroit. Jennings pushes Catherine Wade (Sally Kirkland) on head coach Frank Couzo (James Earl Jones) as an eastern sensitive coach who understands how tough the Korean team is going to be.

This starts trying to be a somewhat serious competitive sports movie. Then it turns more into a Kung Fu Chop Suey area. It never excel with either. This movie needs a more definitive protagonist. Eric Roberts is the big star and seems to be the functional lead. However, Phillip Rhee has the emotional arc but he doesn't have the acting skills to pull it off. This split keeps the intensity down. There is a bit of cheese value but this movie is not bad enough to be good.