The Last Dragon is a stylish martial arts action film that blends 80s pop culture, kung fu, and a love for Motown music. The story follows Leroy Green, a young martial artist living in Harlem, on his quest to achieve the highest level of martial arts mastery and become “The Last Dragon.” Along the way, Leroy crosses paths with the charismatic yet dangerous gang leader Sho’nuff, who is determined to prove himself as the true martial arts master. At the same time, Leroy falls for a local TV personality, Laura Charles, who gets caught up in the villainous schemes of a corrupt music promoter.
With its blend of martial arts action, colorful characters, and a memorable soundtrack, The Last Dragon is a fun, energetic mix of 80s urban fantasy and kung fu adventure. It’s a journey of self-discovery, love, and fighting for what’s right, all set to a funky Motown beat.
- Taimak as Leroy Green
- Vanity as Laura Charles
- Julius Carry as Sho’nuff
- El DeBarge as himself (musical performance)
IMDB | Action, Comedy, and Drama
I just love how this film approaches stereotypes. EVERYONE is an overblown caricature, but they’re all caricatures that don’t line up with what you expect for their race. Asians are all caricatures of African American urban youth. Most black characters are either Asian-coded or yuppy White-coded. It does a great job of highlighting the absurdity of so many of those stereotypes.
And it’s just a great Kung fu flick.