It is widely accepted that some things are inherently desigened to come in pairs: Penn and Teller; a medium-bodied Pinot Noir with grilled salmon; and in the case of this review...Mid-80s, Motown artists and Kung Fu. Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon takes the latter and creates 109 minutes of pure cinematic enjoyment. There are few other instances in American film where one can move seamlessly from scissor-kicks and dragon-punches into an all out party-down featuring "Rhythm of the Night" by pop sensation, DeBarge. In these instances, the viewer can't help but feel compelled to tie on a headband and start clapping along.
At the heart of all the excitment and tunes, there also exists a complex storyline that keeps the audience continually guessing right up to the conclusion. The story follows a young man named Leroy Green (Taimak) who is known affectionately throughout Harlem as "Bruce Leroy". He is trained in the martial arts and is mainly concerned with attaining "The Glow". We learn that "The Glow" is in fact a power that can be tapped and used by the greatest fighters in the world. While on his quest, he must continually protect his youger brother, Ritchie, and girlfriend, Laura Charles (played by Vanity...the famous...or infamous Prince collaborator) from the constant attack of the films two primary antagonists: Eddie Arcadian (Arcade owner and scoundrel) and Sho'nuff (Master of the Shogun of Harlem). Needless to say, there is no shortage of action and ear-piercing "EEE-YYYAAAAHHHS" (That's my best attempt at the sound fighters make...).
In summary, The Last Dragon is silly...at times ridiculous...but more than not it's a lot of fun. If you like to laugh and can appreciate a film that seems to embrace its own "campiness", this film is definitely worth the cost of viewing. Also, it never fails to impress people in the know when you can whip out a "Taimak" reference in conversation...trust me.
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