The Last Dragon (1985) Review

Rating: 3 out 5

Director: Michael Schultz

Year: 1985

Plot:

The simplest way to view this movie is to stick to the basic storyline. A young martial artist has learned all he can from his teacher, and now must search for a new teacher to obtain the final level of his kung fu, known as the Glow. However, his quest takes some turns when he has to face off against the Shogun of Harlem, who has it out for our hero named Brue Leroy. I kid you not. There’s a subplot involving a powerful man trying to get his girlfriend’s music video played on some video count down show. We also see Bruce Leroy teaching, and going through his days. The heart of the matter is still the search for a new master that will elevate his martial arts to the next level, but of course not without going through the Shogun.

Thoughts:

The start of the film introduces the audience to Bruce Leroy, played by an African American martial artist, Taimak. He shows off his kung fu style, while his teacher throws literal arrows at him, which he blocks and hits away. He is then informed that he needs to find a new teacher as he’s learned all he could to that point. Brue Leroy is played for comedy with the name, but the story is serious. There are comic moments, but Leroy isn’t a paper character. He shows true dedication to teaching, practicing his kung fu, and avoiding fights.

The transfer on the DVD is good, there’s no need for dubbing, this was an American release. The plot flows easily, there’s plenty to watch here, and it’s light on fighting. In fact, the majority of the film does not include fighting, but that doesn’t make it a bad movie. It’s just that the plot carries through the story, and moves forward with the quest of our hero Leroy.

Average kung fu movie fans will not like the pacing on this movie. It is story heavy, and fight light. That’s not to say it’s bad, but it’s something that you’re going to definitely notice if you’re a fight film fan. It has a lot more comedy, and straightforward storyline than fight, though there is a build to that ultimate fight that takes place between Bruce Leroy and Shonuff. Overall this is an interesting character study, but it is not a pure kung fu movie, though it takes a lot of the ethos of kung fu movies and places them in the 1980s New York City, which is cool. I give “The Last Dragon” a rating of 3 out of 5.

Add "The Last Dragon" to your blu ray collection or stream it by clicking here.