THE LAST DRAGON 1985
59%
Directed by Michael Schultz
Written by Louis Venosta
Starring Taimak, Vanity, Christopher Murney, Julius Carry, Faith Prince, Keshia Knight Pulliam
Synopsis
A young Kung Fu novice in New York City searches for the “master” to obtain the supreme level of martial arts mastery known as “the glow.” Along the way, he must fight a villainous Kung Fu expert and rescue and woo a beautiful singer from a maniacal music promoter.
Why We Love It
Putting Berry Gordy’s name before the title didn’t do The Last Dragon any favors in 1985. The Motown Kingmaker had a reputation for authoritarianism, and placing a producer’s name so prominently before the credits allowed contemporary critics to dismiss the film as a vanity project from a musician who thought he knew how to make movies. But, directed by Michael Schultz, who helmed Cooley High and Car Wash, this genre mashup of Kung Fu flick and rom-com was a passion project in the best possible way. The film tapped into the ethos of every successful martial arts film before it: heart.
In what has to be the most commercial version of “Blasian” cinema, The Last Dragon borrows from and pays tribute to Black Samurai, Black Belt Jones, The Black Dragon, and, of course, everything that Bruce Lee ever did on screen—all reimagined with a black protagonist. Our Last Dragon hero, Leroy Green, played by stuntman-turned-actor Taimak, had deadly fighting skills to match his charisma. Green walks directly into danger due to a sense of obligation, not for revenge or even for personal gain; his is a higher cause, and that’s why we and leading lady Laura fall head over heels for him.
The film’s many homages to older works, its at-times cartoonish acting, and its very quotable dialogue are the delightful foundations upon which cult classics are built. It rightfully still occupies a space in the pop-culture lexicon (“Whose house is this? Sho-Nuff! I said who’s the baddest? Sho-nuff!”) and is a favorite at midnight screenings. It is particularly cherished in the African American community: Busta Rhymes, Wu Tang Clan, Insecure, and Boots Riley’s 2018 absurdist dark comedy Sorry to Bother You have all paid homage to The Last Dragon.
The ultimate product of the MTV generation—complete with an aging Cyndi Lauper wannabe—The Last Dragon intermixes music-video breaks between occasionally impressive fight scenes. Perhaps that mix of Purple Rain and B-movie Karate Kid is why many critics didn’t think much of it, but the triumphant ending, highlighted by some unmistakably 1980s CG, makes it shine—or rather, glow.