The Last Dragon (1985)

In New York City, 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 a martial arts expert corrupted ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Schultz

Writer:

Louis Venosta

Stars:

Taimak, Vanity, Christopher Murney

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Taimak	...	Leroy Green
Vanity	...	Laura Charles
Christopher Murney	...	Eddie Arkadian (as Chris Murney)
Julius Carry	...	Sho'nuff / The Shogun of Harlem (as Julius J. Carry III)
Faith Prince	...	Angela Viracco
Leo O'Brien	...	Richie Green
Mike Starr	...	Rock
Jim Moody	...	Daddy Green
Glen Eaton	...	Johnny Yu
Ernie Reyes Jr.	...	Tai
Roger Campbell	...	Announcer
Esther Marrow	...	Mama Green
Keshia Knight Pulliam	...	Sophia (as Keshia Knight)
Jamal Mason	...	Roy
B.J. Barie	...	Jackie

Storyline

In New York City, 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 a martial arts expert corrupted with power, and rescue a beautiful singer from an obsessed music promoter.

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Plot Keywords:

title spoken by character | punch | adult lives at home | martial arts | new york city | 

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Taglines:

He's a martial arts master who refuses to fight. He's a Bruce Lee fan who's so sure he's Oriental that he eats popcorn with chopsticks. His friends think he's too serious. His family thinks he's crazy. His enemies think he's no challenge. But she knows he's The Last Dragon.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Drama | Music

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 March 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon

Filming Locations:

Alphabet City, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$25,754,284

Company Credits

Production Co:

Delphi III Productions, Motown Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The song "Rhythm of the Night" went to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 on the Billboard R&B charts.

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Goofs

This error is during the final showdown between Leroy and Sho'Nuff. When Leroy is pulled from the water drum for the last time, the blood and injuries are washed off/healed, but when the camera cuts back to Sho'Nuff, you can still see blood on Leroy. The blood is there and then gone alternating between shots.

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Quotes

Eddie Arcadian: I applaud you, Leroy. That was a great finish. Not quite the ending I had in mind, but it was a great finish. You see a .45 will put an end to all this kung fu crap. All it takes is one little bullet. So take your final bow, scum sucker.
[Leroy's eyes widen anticipating the shot, Arcadian fires]

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Connections

Features The Chinese Connection (1972)

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Soundtracks

Test Drive
Performed by Faith Prince
Written by Ezra Doner, Stephen Fischer
Produced by Kerry Ashby, Benny Medina

User Reviews

This movie inspired me.

Forget the campiness. Who cares about the less-than-Oscar-nomination acting. I never watched The Last Dragon for these reasons. I watched it because I loved the feeling and spirit. Oh, and Vanity. This movie became such a huge influence in my life that I pursued martial arts lessons so that I could be just like LeRoy Green. Now, nineteen years later, I am nearly ready for my Masters rank in the martial arts. This movie was all about basic things in life: good triumphing over evil, the importance of love, family ties, loyalty and plain, old good fun. I find it interesting that LeRoy could reach the Final Level ONLY after he had found someone else to help; i.e. Laura Charles. Rather like life should be, eh?! Love is truly the ingredient for a rich, fulfilled life. Of course, some serious kung fu adds some spice to life. Just one thing: how did LeRoy practice catching a bullet in his teeth? Did his old master train him by throwing bullets to him? Forget the hoakiness. Just enjoy this awesome (and rather poignant)film.