Runtime: 109 minutes
Directed by: Michael
Schultz
Starring: Taimak, Vanity,
Christopher Murney, Julius Carry, Faith Prince
From: Motown!
Of course this is something I would rate highly:
“You are The Last Dragon, you possess the power of The Glow!” (repeat x50)
I have mentioned before how some 1980's films are like that decade vomited all over the screen, but I don't think that thought has been more accurate than when applied to this insane motion picture, which is now on Netflix. Honestly, this is like pure Colombian cocaine was melted down and put on celluloid! Aside from this being Motown's attempt to get into film and be as relevant to pop culture as they were in the past, it's a then-modern spin on such 70's staples as Bruce Lee and blaxploitation, so of course this is something I'd think was incredible despite it technically not being what you'd call a good motion picture, critically.
Taimak is Leroy Green, i.e. Bruce Leroy, as he stans Bruce Lee. I mean, to the point he speaks in a stilted manner as if he's copying the dubbing voices of old martial arts films and cosplays as Lee on the streets by wearing his old movie outfits, including the yellow suit from Game of Death. Besides dealing with The Shogun of Harlem-the amazing Sho'Nuff-and trying to find the master that will give him the power of The Glow, he gets to know Vanity and has to protect her from crazed promoter/arcade owner Eddie Arkadian, who wants her to play the Cyndi Lauper-esque video of his moll on her local nightclub TV show and randomly has henchmen like Mike Starr and a tank in his office which is filled with piranhas.
The stunning multicolored jacket that WILLIAM H. MACY wears in his one scene, weird racial moments, breakdancing, a soundtrack that slaps you in the face with how 80's it is, which includes such legends as Smokey Robinson, The Temptations and Stevie Wonder (as remember who made this; DeBarge's Rhythm of the Night became a big hit after its appearance here) and parts of a few music videos are shown, the hero eating popcorn with chopsticks, The Glow actually being a literal idea, some of the most breathtaking clothing you'll ever witness, bad guys in Sho'Nuff and Arkadian who just look like A-holes with their appearance, let alone how those characters act, random appearances by Rudy Huxtable, Ernie Reyes Jr. and Chazz Palminteri, Leroy's 14 year old brother having the hots for Vanity-can you blame him?... The Last Dragon has it all.
I could go on and on about the madness of this film but I'll just say this was something that made me laugh often. If you love the decade like I do, this is a must-see. The extended finale alone is mind-blowing in about 37 different ways. Lord, why couldn't have Motown made more movies, especially if they would have been like this?
I have mentioned before how some 1980's films are like that decade vomited all over the screen, but I don't think that thought has been more accurate than when applied to this insane motion picture, which is now on Netflix. Honestly, this is like pure Colombian cocaine was melted down and put on celluloid! Aside from this being Motown's attempt to get into film and be as relevant to pop culture as they were in the past, it's a then-modern spin on such 70's staples as Bruce Lee and blaxploitation, so of course this is something I'd think was incredible despite it technically not being what you'd call a good motion picture, critically.
Taimak is Leroy Green, i.e. Bruce Leroy, as he stans Bruce Lee. I mean, to the point he speaks in a stilted manner as if he's copying the dubbing voices of old martial arts films and cosplays as Lee on the streets by wearing his old movie outfits, including the yellow suit from Game of Death. Besides dealing with The Shogun of Harlem-the amazing Sho'Nuff-and trying to find the master that will give him the power of The Glow, he gets to know Vanity and has to protect her from crazed promoter/arcade owner Eddie Arkadian, who wants her to play the Cyndi Lauper-esque video of his moll on her local nightclub TV show and randomly has henchmen like Mike Starr and a tank in his office which is filled with piranhas.
The stunning multicolored jacket that WILLIAM H. MACY wears in his one scene, weird racial moments, breakdancing, a soundtrack that slaps you in the face with how 80's it is, which includes such legends as Smokey Robinson, The Temptations and Stevie Wonder (as remember who made this; DeBarge's Rhythm of the Night became a big hit after its appearance here) and parts of a few music videos are shown, the hero eating popcorn with chopsticks, The Glow actually being a literal idea, some of the most breathtaking clothing you'll ever witness, bad guys in Sho'Nuff and Arkadian who just look like A-holes with their appearance, let alone how those characters act, random appearances by Rudy Huxtable, Ernie Reyes Jr. and Chazz Palminteri, Leroy's 14 year old brother having the hots for Vanity-can you blame him?... The Last Dragon has it all.
I could go on and on about the madness of this film but I'll just say this was something that made me laugh often. If you love the decade like I do, this is a must-see. The extended finale alone is mind-blowing in about 37 different ways. Lord, why couldn't have Motown made more movies, especially if they would have been like this?
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