Product Description

A YOUNG MAN SEARCHES FOR THE MASTER TO OBTAIN THE FINAL LEVEL OF MARTIAL ARTS MASTERY KNOWN AS THE GLOW

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4890 in DVD
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2001-07-03
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Georgian, Chinese, Thai
• Dubbed in: French, Portuguese
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 109 minutes

Amazon.com
Get ready for some seriously big hair. The Last Dragon--or, to call it by its full title, Berry Gordy's the Last Dragon--is a stunning example of 1980s camp cinema. One-name kung fu wonder Taimak plays Leroy Green, a.k.a. Bruce Leroy, a humble student of kung fu who has achieved the highest level of skill, but hasn't yet found his inner master. Wandering through the streets of New York in a Chinese peasant outfit, he accidentally becomes the protector of nightclub hostess/video jockey Laura Charles (played by former Prince protégé Vanity, who also costarred in the trash classic Action Jackson). She's being threatened by a height-challenged mobster who wants her to play his girlfriend's video (the girlfriend is something of a Cyndi Lauper look-alike, played by Broadway star Faith Prince). Meanwhile, a man who calls himself Sho'Nuff, the Shogun of Harlem, wants to kick Leroy's ass and prove himself the baddest kung fu master in town. Add to this Leroy's smart-mouthed brother Richie (who calls Leroy "the chocolate-covered yellow peril"), a dregs-of-Motown soundtrack (DeBarge is a high point), ninja battles, pseudo-Eastern philosophical babble, and a jaw-dropping club performance by Vanity, and you have a hilarious example of why we're all so very glad the '80s are over. Featuring a bit role by William H. Macy (Fargo, Magnolia). --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews

A vintage 1980s kung fu/comedy classic
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.

WHO'S THE MASTA?!
SHO'NUFF! THE SHOGUN......OF HARLEM!

This has got to be one of the funniest and cheesiest Kung Fu movies I have ever seen. However, don't let that disuade you from looking into this title. I gaurantee you'll have a blast watching it!

Martial Arts student Leroy Green is on a quest to obtain an elusive power known as 'The Glow'. However, in his search to find the one Kung Fu Master who can teach him this final level of Kung Fu greatness, Leroy must contend with the evil, powerful Shogun of Harlem, known as Sho'Nuff!! Aside from that, Leroy must also rescue a beautiful singer from the clutches of an obsessed record producer, who dreams of his no-talent wife having the spotlight! Now, Leroy has two foes to contend with, as well as strive to obtain The Glow!

It sounds cheesy...but don't let that fool you. This movie, quite surprisingly, is a ton of fun to watch! The action is actually pretty good, with some surprisingly decent special effects toward the end. Julius J. Carry III is hilarious as Sho'nuff, the meanest, the prettiest, baddest mo'fo in all of Harlem! And there is no denying it...when 'The Glow' song begins to play later on in the movie, you will find yourself wanting to do karate kicks right out of your seat!

My only gripe: For a DVD, the picture quality could've been ALOT better. The sound is restored very nicely, but the picture suffers from dark overtone, making scenes that take place in dark areas very difficult to see. Other than that, the disc has two sides, one of which is Widescreen, the other Standard. There are a few extras, such as the theatrical trailer, and very small theatrical bios of Taimak(the main character) and Vanity.

With a great soundtrack..., featuring music from the early 80's (such as Stevie Wonder and DeBarge) and the original track 'The Glow', crazy hijinks, great fighting sequences and decent special effects, any kung-fu fighting fan should enjoy this movie. Whether its the fighting, the comedy, or just the Shogun of Harlem, Sho'nuff himself, you should have a BLAST watching this movie. Definitely watch with a group of friends!

'Bow down...and kiss my Converse!'

Notice: At one point in the movie, we see a very brief and early performance by one of today's more popular actors, William H. Macy!

The other Dragon!
Just like so many others who have seen this movie, I fell in love with it. Everyone fantasies of having a special talent, gift or power. The GLOW is it, its what everyone wanted as kid when being bullied. The ability to take you skills to a supreme level. Not to mention the choreography is wonderful. The acting is good and unlike many movies today. You find yourself cheering at the end for the good guy! I have see The Last Dragon at least 50 times and it never gets old.

RERELEASE IT ON DVD, PLEASE!