A young man searches for the "master" to obtain the final level of martial arts mastery known as the glow. Along the way he must fight an evil martial arts expert and rescue a beautiful singer from an obsessed music promoter.
Taimak
Leroy Green
Vanity
Laura Charles
Christopher Murney
Eddie Arkadian
Julius Carry
Sho'nuff / The Shogun of Harlem
Faith Prince
Angela Viracco
Leo O'Brien
Richie Green
Mike Starr
Rock
Jim Moody
Daddy Green
Glen Eaton
Johnny Yu
Ernie Reyes Jr.
Tai
Queen Esther Marrow
Mama Green
Keshia Knight Pulliam
Sophia Green
Jamal Mason
Roy
B.J. Barie
Jackie
André D. Brown
Beast
David Claudio
Cyclone
Kirk Taylor
Crunch
Sal Russo
Hood #1
Chazz Palminteri
Hood #2
Frank Renzulli
Hood #3
Torrance Mathis
Hood #4
Thomas Ikeda
Master
William H. Macy
J.J.
Trulie MacLeod
Margo
Gary Aprahamian
Jason
Lou David
Headline Killer
Verne Williams
Cujo
Captain Haggerty
Mr. Z
Ernie Reyes Sr.
Martial Arts Fighter
Robert Silver
Cab Driver
Clayton Prince
Voice in Theatre (voice)
Brandon Schultz
Tiny Kid
Carl Anthony Payne II
Kid in Pizza Shop
Tony D. Head
Gang Member (uncredited)
Director
Michael Schultz
Author
Louis Venosta
January 14, 2023
10
With "The Last Dragon" it really depends on when you saw it. If you saw it as a child in the 80s, well, it's crazy good. It's Chinatown excellent. It's one of the most beloved movies of your childhood and it lingers into your adult years with a heavy dose of nostalgia.
Honestly though, if you are walking into it now...it's a bit dated and in the cheesiest possible way. But then, even in the 80s it was trying hard to be cheesy, just, unlike it's peers, some of the cheese didn't age well.
Fortunately though, it holds it's own in that little notch, the Black-Fu subgenre of blacksploitation, and it holds its own in the funnest possible way.
The Bad Guys are over-the-top and hysterically so. The hero is brilliantly naive and pulls off the wang chung with an ease that is convincing for a kung fu movie. It's choreographed extremely well for the budget, making the action believable and blends seamlessly into the humor and cheese.
If you watched it as a child in the 80s, it will remain on of your absolute favorite films. If you're seeing it for the first time, well, it's not exactly timeless, you won't love it as much, but there is still enough there to amuse you and keep you entertained, it's still worth the time to watch.
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$10,000,000.00
Revenue:
$25,754,284.00