The Last Dragon was a film produced by Motown Records in the mid-eighties, and while it was sort of created as a way to market a few singles, notably Oh Sheila, the film still stands as a pretty good Kung Fu movie, a good comedy, and one of the all time must download movies of the eighties. It's fun, funny, sort of corny and very eighties.
The film follows Bruce Leroy, or so is his nickname. He's a young martial artist from Harlem who works for his father's pizza parlor while teaching Kung Fu to the local neighborhood kids. Throughout his adventures, he also has to keep his cool and composure while dealing with his rival, Sho'Nuff, who's always trying to get a rise out of him. Sho'Nuff, you see, is the Shogun of Harlem... Yep, the Shogun of Harlem. That's what he likes to call himself.
Sho'Nuff, the Shogun of Harlem, is really a cinematic treasure as far as great film characters go. He tries to egg Bruce Leroy into a fight so that he can prove, once and for all, who the strongest fighter in the city is. Every time he steps on scene, it's with a short speech, aided by his lackeys. "Am I the prettiest?!" "SHO NUFF!" "Am I the baddest?!" "SHO NUFF!" "Am I the meanest, leanest mofo around dis town?!" "SHO NUFF!" "SHO'NUFF! Da Shogun of Harlem!" He wears visor sunglasses, a samurai's hakama (those baggy pants that disguise foot movement), and shoulder pads, as well as a top knot... He looks ridiculous and he's just a joy to behold.
The only downside to the movie is the comparatively less interesting subplot revolving around a really, really awful Cyndi Lauper style singer and her manager/boyfriend who's trying to get her some airtime on a local music show, produced and hosted by Bruce Leroy's would-be-lover. This subplot isn't the most interesting part of the film, but fortunately it's not a main focus.
And of course, it does pay off in the end when the manager hires all the baddest dudes in the city to have it out with Bruce Leroy and his students. These "bad dudes" include a big fat old white guy with a Mister T Mohawk and an all gold one piece suit... Yep, real bad dudes, these guys.
Besides the action and jokes, there are also some classic eighties scenes that you couldn't see in any other era, such as Leroy trying to find the man who writes the wise sayings on fortune cookies, only to find that the whole process is automated by a computer that prints them out.
Could the movie have been better without the weird subplot about the record promoter? Sure, but even so, it's one of the all time classic eighties flicks, and one of the best attempts at spoofing the Kung Fu genre while at the same time honoring it. It's also just plain a whole lot of fun.
Next time you want a goofy, fun eighties flick, and you want to see a little kung fu while you're at it, go ahead and give The Last Dragon a download.
The film follows Bruce Leroy, or so is his nickname. He's a young martial artist from Harlem who works for his father's pizza parlor while teaching Kung Fu to the local neighborhood kids. Throughout his adventures, he also has to keep his cool and composure while dealing with his rival, Sho'Nuff, who's always trying to get a rise out of him. Sho'Nuff, you see, is the Shogun of Harlem... Yep, the Shogun of Harlem. That's what he likes to call himself.
Sho'Nuff, the Shogun of Harlem, is really a cinematic treasure as far as great film characters go. He tries to egg Bruce Leroy into a fight so that he can prove, once and for all, who the strongest fighter in the city is. Every time he steps on scene, it's with a short speech, aided by his lackeys. "Am I the prettiest?!" "SHO NUFF!" "Am I the baddest?!" "SHO NUFF!" "Am I the meanest, leanest mofo around dis town?!" "SHO NUFF!" "SHO'NUFF! Da Shogun of Harlem!" He wears visor sunglasses, a samurai's hakama (those baggy pants that disguise foot movement), and shoulder pads, as well as a top knot... He looks ridiculous and he's just a joy to behold.
The only downside to the movie is the comparatively less interesting subplot revolving around a really, really awful Cyndi Lauper style singer and her manager/boyfriend who's trying to get her some airtime on a local music show, produced and hosted by Bruce Leroy's would-be-lover. This subplot isn't the most interesting part of the film, but fortunately it's not a main focus.
And of course, it does pay off in the end when the manager hires all the baddest dudes in the city to have it out with Bruce Leroy and his students. These "bad dudes" include a big fat old white guy with a Mister T Mohawk and an all gold one piece suit... Yep, real bad dudes, these guys.
Besides the action and jokes, there are also some classic eighties scenes that you couldn't see in any other era, such as Leroy trying to find the man who writes the wise sayings on fortune cookies, only to find that the whole process is automated by a computer that prints them out.
Could the movie have been better without the weird subplot about the record promoter? Sure, but even so, it's one of the all time classic eighties flicks, and one of the best attempts at spoofing the Kung Fu genre while at the same time honoring it. It's also just plain a whole lot of fun.
Next time you want a goofy, fun eighties flick, and you want to see a little kung fu while you're at it, go ahead and give The Last Dragon a download.
About the Author:
I hate coming-of-age comedies. Movies Online Com This one is about a young boy whose faith in Santa Claus is rewarded with a trip to the North Pole on the Polar Express. Daisy and Jamie Lee fall in love and announce their engagement, much to the chagrin of the Duke and Hogg families.
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