Rating: 
Summary: A vintage 1980s kung fu/comedy classic
Review: I have always loved this movie. Sure, it's a little bit kooky, but Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon just about has it all: plenty of kung fu action, comedy, romance, great vintage mid-80s music, a little bit of funk styling, and plenty of tributes to the great Bruce Lee; it is also the only film I know of whose two main characters are known by only one name in real life. I actually saw this film twice in the theatre back in 1985, and I can say that of only a few movies. Taimak plays Leroy Green, better known around the New York streets as Bruce Leroy for his impressive kung fu skills. His pursuit of the martial arts is a search for truth and mastery of self, and he is only one step away from acquiring "the glow," a state of being wherein mind and body are one. His pursuit of a new and final "master" keeps getting sidetracked, however. Sho'nuff (Julius Carry III), a particularly nasty dude who proclaims himself to be the Shogun of Harlem, is constantly provoking him and baiting him to fight. Then he finds himself the fated protector of star video jockey Laura Charles (Vanity), who is constantly being kidnapped and pressured into showing a certain video on her show. Eddie Arkadian (Christopher Murney) is determined to make a star of his untalented, Cindy Lauperized squeeze Angela (Faith Prince), and he will stop at nothing to get her video on the air. All of Leroy's enemies, naturally enough, come together for a slam-bam martial arts extravaganza finish.Laura Charles naturally quickly develops some affection for her knight in flowing Asian robes, and a pretty darn innocent Leroy struggles to overcome his shyness in the ways of love. It makes for a rather sweet as well as comical budding relationship. There is ethnic humor scattered throughout the film, all of which I found funny and in no way offensive - by way of example, there is the somewhat Asian fellow trying to act like Bruce Lee because he thinks that alone will scare away any opponents. The music is great; Debarge's video for his hit song Rhythm of the Night gets prominent placement in the film, as does a rather illuminating performance by Vanity which seems a lot sillier now than it did 18 years ago. Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson contribute to the soundtrack, and Willie Hutch provides a couple of great tracks. The best thing about The Last Dragon, though, has to be the martial arts. I know this was a somewhat cheesy martial arts film, but I still enjoyed all of the action. This is due in no small part to the fact that clips of Bruce Lee movies are shown at several points in the film, and a scene reminiscent of the huge melee that took place late in Lee's Enter the Dragon is a really nice touch. The whole thing with "the glow" was cartoonish in conception and execution, yet it too was pretty cool. I think The Last Dragon is just a great, entertaining film, but it is probably not for everyone. If you have no interest in martial arts, the romance and sometimes goofball comedy of the film may not be enough to satisfy you, but anyone who enjoys seeing everyone kung fu fighting should have a heck of a fun ride over the course of this somewhat underrated movie. It always leaves me feeling pretty juiced up and positive about life, which is a pretty nice feeling to take away from any movie.
Rating:
Summary: When you got that GLOW!
Review: The Last Dragon is not your everyday Kung Fu movie...its way more than that. It's a Kung Fu-adelic, Breakdancin, body popping, butt-kicking disco scene flick. This movie showcases many stars like Taimak, Vanity ( Purple Rain and Action Jackson), Thomas Ikeda, Julius Carry, Christopher Murney, Faith Prince (Spin City), Glen Eaton and Leo O'Brien. This movie never go the credit it deserved and now its time for it 'shine on' again. This movie is about a young Leroy Brown attempting to complete his training in martial arts. Along his journey he must face many of his fears and to realize that some things we look for are already within us waiting to be found. Along the way he falls in love with a dance show star and must confront his nemesis, the 'Shogun' of Harlem, Sho'nuff. Get ready for a lot of laughs, a awsome 80's soundtrack, breadancing and very well done martial arts scenes. Many of you Spin City watchers will notice Faith Prince who plays Eddie Arcadian's girlfriend. Vanity was also seen in Purple Rain. Yeah, Yeah I know that there are many people out there that knock this movie and attempt to put it down. Complaining of a poorly written script and cheezy dialouge. But hey this is from the 80's and this movie is a cult classic that never got the credit it deserved. However the fact that it is being released shows that there is a high interest in people wanting a re-release of this movie with me being one of them. I cannot wait to see the movie shine on DVD.... Pre-order's your today and don't forget the Soundtrack is being re-released on CD as well.
Rating: 
Summary: A cheesy 80's classic
Review: THE LAST DRAGON is one of those films where the viewer knows the film isn't good, yet you still enjoy it, and watch it endlessly. I'm one of those viewers. You can't help by liking the film, even though it was made in the weird 1980's. Anyway the film follows Taimak (where has he been, anyway?) as kung-fu master Leroy Green, who has reached the highest level of martial arts. He is trying to find the master in himself but is confronted by Sho'nuff, the baddest guy from Harlem. Leroy is also romances a DJ named Laura Charles, played by Vanity (where has she been too?; have you noticed that one-named actors are often lost in oblivion in the movie industry?) Even though the film has a horrible 80's era feel to it, the film nevertheless boasts good karate action, a dated but fun soundtrack, and memorable lines by Sho'nuff ("who's the baddest? SHONUFF! who's the prettiest? SHONUFF!...) THE LAST DRAGON is a classic guilty pleasure spectacle.
Rating:
Summary: Forget the critics! I love this movie!
Review: I don't know why such a bad review is posted here on Amazon? I am sad that the 80s are over, but I still have my DVD to watch any time I want. Bruce Leroy has to go up agienst a bad dude by the name of sho nuff.. All while tring to find the inner glow that will give him the power to defeat his foes...
He has to help a beautiful lady named Laura Charles a video DJ who is harassed by some crazy promotor who will stop at nothing to get a video played on her show..
I love the film for the action and we get to see some Bruce Lee in it too! Leroy is sent out on a mission to find the way to reach the glow and when he has to fight Sho nuff, he finds out that he is the master! I loved this movie and I wish that there was a sequel... Grab some popcorn and just sit back and have fun...
Rating:
Summary: CHEESY,CAMPY '80s FUN
Review: Every once in a while,you need some camp in your life.
A movie that is very campy,dated,and cheesy yet fun and strangely
convincing,that would explain 1985's "The Last Dragon"(billed as
"Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon" when originally released). A cheesy,overproduced Motown fantasy/musical/martial arts flick
which is loaded with signs of '80s glam and slang(watching it seventeen years later,it's a scream!).Starring are Tamiak(whatever happened to him),Vanity,William H. Macy(who later was featured in Oscar-totters "Fargo" and "Magnolia"),Faith Prince,
and the adoreable Keshia Knight Pulliam(best known as Rudy Huxtable on "The Cosby Show"). The plot is basically the same as the Bruce Lee classic that the film shares it's name with,just with VERY '80s elements such as big hair,tacky '80s clothes,shallow '80s music videos,and DeBarge(whose "Rhythm Of The Night" is featured in the film)! Notable charcters include the unforgettably campy Sho-Nuff(For the younger folks out there who haven't seen this movie-Busta Rhymes parioded him in his 1997 video for "Dangerous") and Leroy(Tamiak)'s hilariously smart-mouthed little brother Ritchie. Want serious martial arts fare spruced with pop music? You might not get that here but if you want good,gimmicky '80s fun with
a great sense of camp,"Last Dragon" is the perfect movie!
Rating:
Summary: Four stars for the movie
Review: But I can't give the dvd 5 stars. I'm happy though that this movie is finally available on dvd. It was a favorite of mine as a teenager and all these years later I still enjoy it as much. It looks great and sounds best during the musical passages (Rhythm of The Night, 7th Heaven). I assume that because those songs were performed IN the movie that the music videos for those songs weren't included as extras on the dvd, though it would have been nice. There's also no original trailer for the movie itself included, though there are some short, kind of lame trailers for three other movies that might appeal to martial arts movie fans. Basically the only positive bonus for fans on the Last Dragon on the dvd is listening to commentary by director Michael Schultz as the movie is playing. That'll definitely take you back and help in the enjoyment of the movie. More bonus features would have gotten five stars from me, but the movie itself is enoyable enough for four. If you love the film like I do, get it.
Rating:
Summary: 5 Stars--Brilliant, Baby!!
Review: I absolutely LOVE this movie. This is one of my favorites! I don't know how people critique movies, and what they call "great", but I'm tired of them, they don't know what the (bleep) they're talking about!! This movie is sooooooo great! I love Taimak and Vanity (a protegee of the man Prince I awesomely adore) and all of the characters. Sho'nuff may be ug-ly but he makes me laugh! The whole movie makes me laugh. The tough, strong, yet cute and gentle Leroy Green (son of Daddy Green and his Pizza) a.k.a Bruce Leroy is a funny character I just love. Laura Childs is so pretty and sassy, you just love her. The Plot is endlessly good and I LOVE THIS MOVIE! I recommend it to you and your family (PG-13, though) and you will love it! I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT!! BUY IT, WATCH IT, LOVE IT!!
Rating:
Summary: Who da MASTER?! Bruce Leroy that's who!
Review: Oh my God! I remember seeing this film over a dozen times and I still find it to be the most highly entertaining film to come out of the 80's. I have very fond memories of this movie being that I am a child of the 80's, and this film is an excellent piece of nostalgia for anyone old enough to experience the 80's in their teens or their 20's, or even for someone like me (who was simply a child). The story itself is pretty basic, but very entertaining nonetheless. Would-be entertainment mogul Eddie Arkadian wishes to form an alliance with Video Disc Jockey Laura Charles, the host of a popular Soul Train-esque type show called
'7th Heaven', in order to make his girlfriend Angela (looking very much like Cindy Lauper's twin) a glitzy popstar goddess. When Laura refuses, he takes drastic measures to ensure her cooperation. thus Leroy enters the scene and becomes Laura's protector, and she in turn begins to fall for him despite his naivetee regarding the ways of romance. While all this is going on, Sho'Nuff with his crew want to proclaim dominance over the streets as the baddest mofo in town, and the only way to do that is to kick Leroy's ass through all Five Boroughs all the way to Shaghai. Anyway, the film can be viewed on many different levels: it is pretty campy in parts (this is the 80's we're talking about), but it has a great deal of heart because in essence Taimak's character of Leroy is on a journey of self-discovery and a sort of spiritual coming of age type of ordeal. Leroy is someone that appears to be in his early to mid 20's, who has put a great deal of dedication into studying the martial arts and understanding the philosophy behind them. So much so that he is very much a pacifist, and only fights in self-defense or in the protection of another and refuses to be intimidated into fighting by another. This is evident by his blatant refusal to accept Sho'Nuff's challenges, even when his family's pizzaria is vandalized by Sho'Nuff and his crew. It is only when both his brother ad Laura are kidnapped by Eddie that he decides to try and rescue them alone, despite the fact that he knows that it is a trap. In addition, this level of dedication has made Leroy a bit naive about certain things in regular life, one of them being how to interact with women. when he begins to reciprocate his feelings for Laura, it is so sweet and innocent because of his lack of experience it is truly genuine that he loves her and towards the end of the film when he appears with a bouquet of white roses, he isn't afraid to make a fool out of himself when he shouts out to her 'COULD YOU TEACH ME SOME MOVES?!' which is obviously a more politically correct way of asking someone 'will you have sex with me'. His younger brother Ritchie, is a lot smarter than Leroy when it comes to the world at large or at least, has a great deal of street smarts. Although he seemed more understanding of how things really are, and views his brother's take on life as 'weird', Ritchie himself is not without a sense of innocence and naivetee. The kid was 15 years old and thought that he himself was 'man enough' for a woman like Laura Charles when all it boiled down to was a simple teenage crush, and hormonal lust. Laura Charles (as played by Vanity) epitomizes the strong-willed woman, she exudes with beauty, talent, and sex appeal, in addition to displaying a heart of gold. She displays her outright refusal to cave in to Arkadian's demands even from the beginning before meeting him and finding out what kind of a slimeball he truly is, her continued defiance of him is well conveyed. Her interactions with Leroy are filled with just the right amount of charm, warmth and romance without being too sappy or mushy. Eddie Arkadian starts off as someone very cool, calm and collected, but definitely shows his malicious intent to anyone that crosses him in true mobster fashion. His descent into the depths of madness towards the end of the movie are well-conveyed with an appropriate over-the-top style that still displays the depth of his menace. The scene where Leroy sneaks into 7th Heaven, and suddenly the large vidscreens light up with Eddie's image, and his voice echoing from all around, its a moment that is truly terrifying in a Big Brother type of manner. Sho'Nuff is definitely Yang to Leroy's Yin, someone simply obsessed in displaying his macho testosterone dominance over his enemies, and his single-minded pursuit that to be the best you must defeat the best and maintain your reputation as the one you should not mess with. It all comes to a head during his fight with Leroy and he displays that he is a true master, by being able to use the power of 'The Glow', something Leroy had been unable to achieve throughout his studies, and comes close to getting the stuffing beaten out of him each time he refuses to answer Sho'Nuff's question 'Who's the Master?' Leroy's conviction and spiritual journey ultimately comes to fruition during his battle with Sho'Nuff when he finally realizes that the master he should be looking for is within himself, which gives him the confidence to finally proclaim that he is indeed a true Kung-Fu Master, which then allows him to achieve 'The Glow' and proceed to beat the ever-living crap out of Sho'Nuff. This is indeed a great movie, as something that both pays homage to and pokes fun at the martial arts genre by mixing it in with a bit of blaxploitation, a coming-of-age story and some romance to balance it all out. I highly recommend this film to anyone that loves the 80's and longs to be a bit nostalgic.
Rating:
Summary: More than corn
Review: A lot of the folks who've written positive reviews of this film put it in the 'cheesy fun' or 'guilty pleasure' category. Not to ruin anyone's enjoyment by going deep, but there's more to it than that. 'Camp' is a better description because the over-the-top elements are more self-conscious and purposive. 'Camp' might be defined as the co-existense of cheese and wit in the same space. Not just the actors, but the characters, are all role-playing, and the 'moral' is that happiness comes from finding a good persona to perform. It's a very 80s, upbeat, define-your-own identity kind of thing. Biology (e.g. race) is not destiny -- except maybe for the white guy villian who can't escape his own stupidity. Otherwise, there's the Black Pizza Restaurant, Blacks acting like Asians, and Asians acting like blacks -- all having a good time. A utopian vision of an MTV world, if only it were true!! And how can you beat a film that opens with a kung fu sensei sending his young charge Bruce LeRoy off to seek the wisdom of the high master Sum Dum Goy!
Rating: 
Summary: Two hours of my life I really WANT BACK!!!!
Review: OK, before last fall, I had never heard of the Last Dragon. So I was talking to my friend one day, and he mentioned it, and I asked if DMX (the rapper) was in it. He, in turn, laughed at me. So it is because of his laughter that I watched this movie. I, along with my roommate, set up for a night of movie watching.... What a mistake! First of all, we talked all during the film about how corny and stupid it was. I know I'm going against the rest of the reviews, but movies like this do nothing for me. And then the part where we found out who The Master was....talk about WACK!!!! All in all, I wouldn't recommend it, but if you like corny 80s stuff, you may enjoy this. I, on the other hand, really want those two hours back.
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