Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon [Blu-ray]

Director: Michael Schultz Michael Schultz

Overview

The TV prints of this entertaining melange whittled down the film's original self-serving title (Motown king Berry Gordy was the producer), and settled on merely The Last Dragon. Taimak stars as an African American martial-arts whiz, so devoted to his hobby that he dresses and behaves in what he thinks is true Chinese fashion. Taimak falls in love with sexy veejay Vanity. Gangsters intrude on both their lives when crook Julius J. Carry III tries to promote his talentless protegee into rock stardom.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/25/2015
UPC:	0043396461321
Original Release:	1985
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	SONY PICTURES
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:48:00

Special Features

Return of the Dragon: ; an all-new look back at the making and legacy of Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon, featuring Taimak, Berry Gordy and more!; Original theatrical trailer; Commentary by director Michael Schultz

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Taimak	Actor
Vanity	Laura Charles
Chris Murney	Actor,Actor
Julius J. Carry III	Sho'nuff
Faith Prince	Angela,Voice in Theater
Leo O'Brien	Richie
Mike Starr	Rock
Jim Moody	Daddy Green
Glen Eaton	Johnny Yu
Ernie Reyes Jr.	Tai
Roger Campbell	Announcer
Esther Marrow	Mama Green
Jamal Mason	Roy
Sarita Allen	Angela's Singer
Jacqui Lee Smith	Angela's Singer
Jodi Moccia	Angela's Singer
Andre Rosey Brown	Beast
David Claudio	Cyclone
Kirk Taylor	Crunch,Sho's Stunt Double
Henry Yuk	Hu Yi
Michael R. Chin	Lu Yi
Fredric Mao	Du Yi
Thomas Ikeda	Master
William H. Macy	J.J.
Trulie MacLeod	Margo
Gary Aprahamian	Jason
Verne Williams	Cujo
Captain Haggerty	Mr. Z
Ernie Reyes Sr.	Martial Arts Fighter
Keshia Knight Pulliam	Sophia
Howard Feuer	Actor
Torrance Mathis	Hood
Shonte	Sho's Woman
Soo Gin Lee	Demo Team
Freddie Stroble	Transvestite
Julian Villaneuva	Demo Team
Jeffrey Ward	Leroy's Stunt Double
Sal Russo	Hood
Chazz Palminteri	Hood
Frank Renzulli	Hood
B.J. Barie	Actor
Janet Bloem	Sho's Woman
Lisa Loving	Sho's Woman
Lou David	Headline Killer
Julius Carry	Actor,Actor
Robert Silver	Cab Driver
Brandon Schultz	Tiny Kid
Carl Payne	Kid in Pizza Shop
Anthony Cortino	Hairstylist
Sebastian Hitzig	Handsome Boy
Derek Schultz	Boy Student
Rhonda Silberstein	7th Heaven Dancer
Peter Traina	Radio Smasher
Jack Meeks	Policeman
Joe Dabenigno	Policeman
Scott Coker	Demo Team
Misha Segal	Composer
Bruce Miller	Composer

Technical Credits

Pen Densham

Louis Venosta

Michael Schultz	Director
Berry Gordy	Executive Producer,Producer
Rupert Hitzig	Producer
Gary Zeller	Special Effects
Pen Densham	Screenwriter
Louis Venosta	Screenwriter
Frank Ferrara Sr.	Stunts
Dennis L. Maitland	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

This singular mix of kung-fu, blaxploitation, family film, and music video may seem unwieldy in theory but it is actually quite entertaining. Louis Venosta's script periodically overdoses on goofball humor but makes up for this with plenty of imagination and enthusiasm and Michael Schultz's assured direction deftly blends the humor, action, and music with style. The score, supervised by Motown veteran Willie Hutch, occasionally overdoes its '80s production quirks (drum machines, blooping synthesizers, etc.) but delivers plenty of soulful punch in the film's plentiful action set pieces. In terms of performances, Taimak doesn't exactly have the presence of Bruce Lee but his comic timing is solid and Vanity is surprisingly confident and poised as the sexy damsel in distress. However, the scene-stealing work comes from Julius J. Carry III's rip-snorting performance as Sho Nuff (imagine Rick James as a kung-fu expert) and Christopher Murney's scenery-chewing work as frustrated mogul Eddie Arkadian. In the end, The Last Dragon may be a little too dated and squeaky-clean for action enthusiasts, but its period charms and genial humor are guaranteed to entertain those nostalgic for the '80s.