The martial arts movie meets blaxploitation
films in this campy cult classic from the mid-1980s, brought to life in this 30th
Anniversary high definition Blu-ray release. I’m still unclear on whether Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon is meant
to be parody or homage to classic kung-fu films, but it lives comfortably in
the pop culture of the ‘80s, complete with absurdly colorful and over-the-top
wardrobe and a soundtrack which often takes over the narrative like an extended
music video. Whether you love it or laugh at it, fans of all types can
appreciate this forgotten cult action-comedy in all its remastered glory, not
to mention the new special features.
The movie opens
with a training sequence that shows martial arts student Leroy “Bruce Leroy”
Green (Taimak) karate chopping arrows with the skill and precision of a master.
All that he has left to accomplish in order to become the greatest fighter is
to obtain a powerful force known as “The Glow,” and sets out on quest to obtain
it. Although this opening sequence in a dojo might suggest an Asian setting for
the film, we soon discover that Leroy is actually a shy teenager living in Harlem with his family running a small pizza restaurant.
Even in Harlem there is a small subculture of
martial arts fans, most of which seem to gather for impromptu fights at the
local movie theater showings of Bruce Lee classics.
Among this group
is a bullying kung fu warrior named Sho’nuff (Julius J. Carry III), who travels
with a posse of minions and refers to himself as the ‘Shogun of Harlem.’
Despite his many attempts to goad Leroy into fighting, Sho’nuff is merely an
annoyance until he pairs up with a gangster trying to branch out into the music
industry. In an attempt to promote a record, Eddie Arkadian (Christopher
Murney) kidnaps a singer named Laura (Vanity) from a popular nightclub to try
and convince her to help make his music popular. The logic of this crime is
insignificant, because it merely provides the opportunity for Leroy to save the
day and win the girl countless times over.
This is as
detailed as the narrative gets, filling the screen time with more music video
footage than plot. The soundtrack includes music from Stevie Wonder, The
Temptations, Vanity and even a music video of DeBarge performing “Rhythm of the
Night.” This was clearly the beginning of the MTV mentality in filmmaking, but
now it is just more dated material adding to the campiness of the movie. The
camp carries over into the martial art aspects, with an actual glow achieved in
the final fight scene against Sho’nuff. Though not all of the humor may be
completely intentional, this is the kind of film which becomes increasingly
entertaining because of how dated it feels.
The 30th
Anniversary Blu-ray release features a fully remastered high definition
presentation, along with a few extras. There is a commentary track with
director Michael Schultz, plus a making-of featurette and original theatrical
trailer which are exclusive to the Blu-ray release.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 6/10
1 comment:
Fun fact: I once saw a stage production of "Road House" starring The Last Dragon's Taimak in a blonde mullet wig.
It was pretty spectacular.
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