A long time ago a friend of mine told me I HAD to see this movie, and now that I have I wish I had seen it fifteen years ago. While this film straddles a strange line between genres and target audiences (it mixes family values with adult language, has silly over-the-top characters and a few violent fights, and mixes campy 80's fun with some motown magic), it's undeniably even more fun than it sounds.

A black martial arts disciple (Taimak) seeks the enlightenment known as "the glow", but is uncertain how to advance to the next stage. His family is completely normal and his little brother thinks he's gone off the deep end. His martial arts skills are so legendary that a crazed martial arts gang run by "The Shogun of Harlem", "Sho'nuff" (Julius Carry) is obsessed with giving him a beat-down just to prove who's the baddest martial arts master around.

Then there's a gangster who is trying to make his girlfriend (Faith Prince) a star by getting her video played on TV by a celebrity (Vanity).

So yes, there's three plots going at once, and yet the movie is balanced enough that you never lose track or feel irritated by any of them. The plot points are deftly juggled so one minute you're watching the crazy hilarious music videos of the gangster's girl, the next seeing the hero fight off some thugs to save the girl he likes, and the next see the hero again trying to sneak into the lair of the last master to further his quest.

This movie COULD be a COMPLETE cheese-fest, except that Taimak plays it straight and you BELIEVE this guy believes in his principles of restraint and idealism with all his heart. Add to that Faith Prince's wonderful performance that flesh out a character that could have been empty and forgettable (you actually LIKE her), and the sweet romance and family angles that play off of the fact that everyone feels about the hero the way people would in real life (Are you for real? Did you get your wisdom from a fortune cookie? Are you nuts?).

It's also helped by a good, if not great, soundtrack, and some actual good film-making. If this film has a weakness, it's that it might be too violent and rough with language for a family film, and too light-hearted and silly for action film fans. Or maybe that's the secret of it's charm. Because for me it really hits the sweet spot of a well-rounded feel-good film. It's like the Motown/Bruce Lee version of Xanadu. Some people may groan and walk away. But I'll watch to the end with a smile on my face.

A note on the DVD: I was expecting this film to have a very poor quality transfer but was surprised to find it's actually a VERY clean transfer that appears to have been filmed in Academy Flat aspect ratio (fills your widescreen TV without stretching). I suppose you COULD buy the blu ray, but when the DVD looks this good I can' imagine why you would, especially for a film like this (a little film grain may only enhance your experience). So expect unusually good DVD quality for this cheap a release.

Take life one day at a time
That's what a wise man said to me
He said, life and all its complexity
It's the ultimate test for you and me
When you walk hold your head up high
For the master's watching you from the sky
I know not what trouble lies ahead
Before you fight
Use your head
It's time to leave the next where you were born, this journey you must make alone
spread your wings and fly
There's a power deep inside you
An inner strength you'll find in time of need
THE GLOW!

The Last Dragon is, of course one of the greatest 80s cult classics. I grew up as a child of the 80s, I’ve seen The last Dragon at least a dozen times, I never get tired of watching Bruce Leroy Kung Fu his way around Harlem searching for the Master, Sum Dum Goy (obvious small hat rhetoric), ultimately discovering “Who is the Masta?!”
The whole movie is great, funny and clever, a couple of good little action scenes; Leroy defending Laura Charles from a kidnapping and then rescuing her from Eddie Arcadian, getting bullied by Sho Nuff and culminating in my favorite part, the fight between he and The Shogun!
That whole end sequence is something magical and very nostalgic for me, the score by Berry Gordy and the 80s special effects still hit me like the first time I saw it.
I bought the DVD to introduce my young boys to one of my favorites, they loved it, and they ask to watch it from time to time.
It’s a wonderfully wholesome, inoffensive film, with no political agenda, unlike much of what passes for entertainment nowadays.
Buy the movie, you won’t be disappointed.

Last Dragon was a Motown production and a great 80s spoof of Kung Fu flicks. It features Taimak as Bruce Leroy an innocent martial arts master who is reluctant to use his skills. Vanity is Laura Charles and especially Julius Carry III as Sho’nuff the Shogun of Harlem. Sho’nuff wants to fight Leroy but he refuses at first.

Every time Sho-nuff shows up it’s worth a laugh. He beats people up and has a crew of followers that chant out his name in a call and response routine he likes to do to re-enforce his power. His outfit which features football shoulder pads adds to his look. He is the most iconic figure in the movie. He also points to how most of the people in the film are like cartoon characters.

This is one of those films you just need to sit back and laugh at because that was the point of the whole project.
C

Vanity will live on forever in this cult classic. This is one of my fondest childhood memories and my second favorite movie of all time. I remember doing the 7th Heaven dance in the mirror wishing I was Vanity and being astonished at how beautiful she was. I watched this movie with my teenage son recently and he loved it. I just bought the Blu-Ray as well and I'm looking forward to watching it again. This is a timeless movie that features a timeless beauty, Denise Matthews, formerly known as "Vanity." She gave the glow an added spark!

Overall, this is a great martial arts movie to have in your collection. This is especially true if you are Black/African-American because let's face it. There aren't a lot of movies where we are the lead especially during that time. This is definitely one of a kind. True it has it corniness and stereotypes, but in my humble opinion this is a true classic.

Glad to be able to own it on Blu-ray. I wish there were more special features for the disc though. For example, on the show "Unsung" they did a good interview with the leading actor about his career and the movie. Something like that would have been nice to include.

The Last Dragon has become a cult classic thanks to its mix of intended and unintended silliness. This is a kung-fu movie that was meant to be a promotional vehicle for Motown, which was on its last legs. In addition to shamelessly plugging several Motown artists, it tries to lambast the popular music of the time; the movie’s villain is the manager for a singer who is essentially a Bizarro version of Cyndi Lauper.

As a Motown vehicle, it was a failure, apart from helping to make “Rhythm of the Night” by DeBarge a #3 hit. But as a goofy martial arts movie, it stands out among its many ‘80s peers.

This movie makes me want to do flips and kicks all over living room. That was when I was a kid.. the feeling is coming back! I was blown away by the quality watching it on Blu-ray, and my fiancé had to leave the house from me lip syncing the whole movie. The bonus features were awesome because you get to see the main protagonist much older! I gotta say though.. he still has the glow!