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38 of 40 found the following review helpful:
 A vintage 1980s kung fu/comedy classicSep 19, 2003
By Daniel Jolley
"darkgenius"
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.
35 of 38 found the following review helpful:
 WHO'S THE MASTA?!Jul 23, 2001
By Michael Pappalardo
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!
13 of 15 found the following review helpful:
The other Dragon!Nov 23, 1999
By TJ
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!
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
ShonuffOct 26, 2005
By Ronnie Clay
"R.C."
Why have this movie got so low a rating? It is a clear 10/10. Probably the most funky martial arts movie ever made. An absolute 80s masterpiece. Full of honour for Bruce Lee and that period as well as containing the spirit of Van Damme and the 80s - and afro- american funk as well as Saturday night fever dance movies. This movie definitely got the glow!
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
BRUCE LEEROY!!Mar 23, 2005
By Movie Fan
There are BAD CHEESY and GOOD CHEESY films. This is good cheesy. You love it's cheesiness but it's funny as hell. Classic & unforgettable 80's witty kung foo movie. I use to watch this flick when I was a kid and me and my brother use to crack up when we'd watch it 80 million times. I am 23 now, and I own it. It still makes me laugh. The 80's movies had something you dont see anymore in films. I dont know what it is, but they dont make movies like this anymore. One thing that is quite obvious, is the the fact is, NOW the world is so much more shallow and narrow minded when it coes to BEAUTIFUL WOMEN. Now, you see big boobs and blonde haired models like pamela lee. Never ridding the stereotype of a hot woman. Laura Charles was constantly referred to as a goddess, and a babe, but this was in the early 80's. When the world was not as shallow. First of all, not that it matters but she is brunette, and does not have much of a chest, but she is still beautiful. Anyways, my point is I wish it was more like the old days when women of all types are noticed for their beauty because no one is perfect.
I had such a HUGE crush on Leroy when I was a kid. I'd watch this movie over and over and I thought he was so hot. I still think so too, even though I dont know what he looks like in present day. He was just so fit, and polite, and always speaking properly, and his shyness and romantic inexperience is such a turn on. Not to mention he is a very talented kung foo master. He did most of his own stunts, so this wasnt a fake kung foo movie. It is the real deal. And I love the tribute to Bruce Lee. They referred to legendary Bruce Lee alot which made the movie even better. Like showing clips from his movies and fists of fury etc. Richie, who constantly makes you laugh, had a very important role too which contributed to most of the film's humor. The mouth on that kid, and him being only what 13? The fact that he was giving his older brother sex advice, was one of the funniest scenes in the movie. Witty, entertaining, action-packed, and the one and only "last dragon" is one of my all time favorite 80's movies, and I reccommend it to anyone who hasnt seen it. I suppose it's hard for people to suddenly see it for the first time and appreciate it in such ignorant times, especially if you never saw it in the 80's. But plain and simple, the 80's was about fun, freedom, experiementing, and the movies are simple. 80's humor will always be in 80's films, and the comedies of today wont ever come close to what movies were back then.
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