The Last Dragon

Taimak 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:	07/03/2001
UPC:	0043396059856
Original Release:	1985
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Sony Pictures
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Time:	1:48:00
Sales rank:	2,303

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Taimak	Leroy
Vanity	Laura Charles
Christopher Murney	Eddie Arkadian
Julius J. Carry	Sho' Nuff
Faith Prince	Angela
Leo O'Brien	Richie
Ernie Reyes	Tai
Glen Eaton	Johnny Yu
Andre Rosey Brown	Beast
Michael R. Chin	Lu Yi
Howard Feuer	Actor
Kim Chang	Girl Student
Jamal Mason	Roy
Torrance Mathis	Hood
Ernie Reyes	Martial Arts Fighter
Shonte	Sho's Woman
Soo Gin Lee	Demo Team
Freddie Stroble	Transvestite
William Taylor	Sho's Stunt Double
Julian Villaneuva	Demo Team
Jeffrey Ward	Leroy's Stunt Double
Verne Williams	Cujo
Henry Yuk	Hu Yi
Mike Starr	Rock
Jim Moody	Daddy Green
Roger Campbell	Announcer
Esther Marrow	Mama Green
Keshia Knight Pulliam	Sophia
B.J. Barie	Jackie
Sarita Allen	Angela's Singer
Jacqui Lee Smith	Angela's Singer
Jodi Moccia	Angela's Singer
Sal Russo	Hood
Chazz Palminteri	Hood
Frank Renzulli	Hood
David Claudio	Cyclone
Kirk Taylor	Crunch
Janet Bloem	Sho's Woman
Lisa Loving	Sho's Woman
Fredric Mao	Du Yi
Thomas Ikeda	Master
William H. Macy	J.J.
Trulie MacLeod	Margo
Gary Aprahamian	Jason
Lou David	Headline Killer
Captain Haggerty	Mr. Z
Robert Silver	Cab Driver
Clayton Prince	Voice in Theater
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

Technical Credits

Pen Densham

Louis Venosta

John K. Watson

Michael Schultz	Director
William Barclay	Art Director
Joseph M. Caracciolo	Associate Producer
Jim Contner	Cinematographer
Robert de Mora	Costumes/Costume Designer
Pen Densham	Screenwriter
Frank Ferera	Stunts
Berry Gordy	Producer
Rupert Hitzig	Producer
Christopher Holmes	Editor
Willie Hutch	Songwriter
Peter Larkin	Production Designer
Lawrence Leritz	Choreography
Dennis L. Maitland	Sound/Sound Designer
Bruce Miller	Score Composer
Misha Segal	Score Composer
Thomas Tonery	Set Decoration/Design
Louis Venosta	Screenwriter
John K. Watson	Screenwriter
Allen Weisinger	Makeup
Lester Wilson	Choreography
Gary Zeller	Special Effects

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.

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