Le Dernier Dragon

If you occasionally get nostalgic for break dancing, too much hairspray, De Barge, and Cyndi Lauper-style hair extensions, then this movie will give you an awesome blast from the past! I watched it on a Saturday morning and it made me feel like a kid again.

As many of the naysayers have already posted here, this ain't no bona fide martial arts flick. But it does make Tarantino-esque allusions to kung-fu pop culture- namely, Bruce Lee's films- that will be appreciated by 'true' kung-fu fans. And the fight scenes were co-choreographed by Ernie Reyes, Sr., so that gives them some credence.

In my opinion, the "worst" parts of this movie are actually the best because of their kitsch value: Prince protégé Vanity performs a ridiculously bad song and dance number; Leroy finds his inner "glow"; Sho'Nuff and his gang interrupt a screening of ENTER THE DRAGON; the list goes on. I think I'll watch it again next Saturday!

Probably THE most '80s thing I've seen in a long time by way of a Motown/Bruce Lee mashup. Honestly, it's like Miami Vice, The Running Man and Big Trouble in Little China all went into a blender and this is what poured out. Hey, I'm not complaining, that's right up my alley.

Although not the smoothest thing in the world; its draggy in spots and the gangster scenes are unnecessary baggage. But Taimak and Vanity both have youthful charm to spare and the fight scenes are rad. There's a little bit of a dark tonal shift during the final fight, but it yields satisfying results.

And then there's Julius Carry with his million dollar glare, outsizing an already outlandish movie. I got a real kick out of this every time Sho'Nuff made an appearance.

This movie is like a guilty pleasure- nobody really talks about it, but every time it comes up in a crowd, within seconds people are using classic lines like "Who's the master?" and "Hey my man, what it look like?" and laughing like maniacs.

This was my favorite movie as a teenager and I've probably seen it 100 times. From the hilarious over-the-top performances to the hybrid karate/comedy/musical genre, it's a movie that kept me laughing the whole way through.

If you like classic movies, then don't waste your time- you'd be better off watching "The Sound of Music" for the 800th time. But if you didn't like this movie, odds are you tried not to.

This love letter to Bruce Lee and martial arts classic movies is not so well made; however, it is delightful to watch. The characters are over the top. The cinematography, set design, and costumes are dripping with the 80's. The story is a fun, light story of a martial arts student in Harlem, NY forced to find a balance between his desire to avoid violence with his need to use his unique skills for good. The music is good, being a Berry Gordy production. Vanity is beautiful and good. Tiamat has become a legend from this one film, and he is perfect for this role. Julius Carey's Shogun of Harlem is one of my favorite characters. The film is infused with its adoration of Enter the Dragon and Bruce Lee and does not take itself too seriously, so why should we. Check out the various small performances from actors that became much bigger, like William H. Macy. The fight choreography is fun- not great but fun.

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.