The Last Dragon (1985) - A Movie Review

 

This movie gets better as it goes on, ending up being a martial arts movie classic.

The Last Dragon (also known as Berry Gordy's Last Dragon) is a martial arts comedy movie released in the United States in 1985 and stars Taimak Guarriello, Vanity, Julius Carry, Leo O'Brien, Christopher Murney, Faith Prince, Glen Eaton, Mike Starr, and Ernie Reyes Jr. The Last Dragon was directed by Michael Schultz, with martial arts choreographed by Torrance Mathis, Ernie Reyes Sr., and Ron Van Clief.

Taimak as Leroy Green. There is a lot of questionable cultural appropriation in this movie, by the way.

In The Last Dragon, Taimak plays Leroy Green (nicknamed Bruce Leeroy), a kindhearted martial arts student who wants to become a master martial artist like his idol, Bruce Lee. Leroy's master tells him that he must find the "last dragon", the final level of martial arts mastery. At this level, a martial artist will be able to control his inner energy in such a way that his whole body will glow, giving him or her great power. The master tells him where the master of "The Glow" lives, so Leroy goes in search of him. With half of a gold medal that once belonged to Bruce Lee, Leroy goes on a quest to find this master, who has the other half of the medal and the knowledge to master "the glow". Leroy runs into a lot of wacky and zany characters in search of this final master, including the "Shogun of Harlem", Sho'nuff (played by Julius Carry). Sho'nuff loudly proclaims himself to be the top martial artist in the city and isn't above beating up innocent people to prove it. After finding out about Leroy Green's martial arts skill, he wants to fight him in a duel, but Leroy refuses to accept the challenge.

Leroy Green and Laura (played by Vanity) enjoying Bruce Lee clips playing on a video wall. I would have the same reaction!

While all of this is happening, Eddie Arkadian (played by Christopher Murney), a sleazy arcade business owner, wants his girlfriend Angela Viracco's (played by Faith Prince) music videos played on Laura Charles' music video show. Laura (played by Vanity) refuses to play Angela's videos, so Eddie gets his henchmen to kidnap her. Leroy ends up saving Laura, and through this (and other circumstances) they become friends. Eventually, Eddie Arkadian and Sho'nuff join forces, and Leroy has to decide whether he should use his martial arts skill to stop them. Does Leroy find the final master and learn "the glow"? Can he defeat Sho'nuff and stop Eddie Arkadian's criminal activities?

The Last Dragon is one of those movies I've heard about for years, but never had a chance (or really a desire) to watch it. I saw some scenes of it on TV when my cousin was watching it randomly one day, but it didn't really look appealing to me. Decades later, I have decided to give this movie a chance. It was on Pluto TV On Demand, so I decided "why not?" After a shaky start, I ended up really liking this movie!

This movie shows a lot of respect towards Bruce Lee, with a lot of references to him throughout, and a lot of clips from his movies (even referred to by their correct titles, as they were known as at that time). Considering this movie was released by Columbia Tristar, it was surprising to see clips from Enter The Dragon (1973) in there along with clips from his Hong Kong films. Bruce Lee is the ultimate martial artist in this movie, despite what Sho'nuff thinks!

Sho'nuff (played by Julius Carry) is one of cinema's greatest villains! Julius Carry should have won some kind of acting award for this performance, not joking.

This movie is mainly a comedy, and it is funny for the most part. Unfortunately, there is a lot of goofy comedy, too. For some people, all this comedy would make them not take the movie seriously. If you stick with the movie, a shift in the plot puts the comedy on the back burner, and it becomes more of a straight up martial arts movie. This is where I really became interested in The Last Dragon. When Leroy Green has to face everything he's been avoiding or has been unsure about, is when the movie becomes awesome. You really root for Leroy Green throughout the movie, and you always hope for the best for him.

The performances of the actors vary, though there is no one that is truly terrible. Taimak as Leroy mainly speaks in a calm, wise way. He says mainly dialogue that is full of wisdom. He is great at awkward comedy. The scene between him and Vanity in her car is probably Taimak's best non-action scene in the movie. Vanity as Laura is really likeable, while Christopher Murney as Eddie Arkadian is truly detestable. Glen Eaton as Johnny Yu, Leroy's martial arts student, is really funny (though some could find him annoying), and Faith Prince brings a lot of emotion to a very comedic role (and she has a great, cartoony voice). The best actors of the movie are Leo O'Brien as Richie, Leroy's younger brother, and Julius Carry as Sho'nuff. Leo says his dialogue so naturally, and is hilarious doing it. That kid should have become a bigger star. Julius Carry is charismatic to the max. Even though he is an over the top character, he is totally believable. Another actor that should have become a bigger star after this movie.

As for the action in The Last Dragon, it's okay. Not bad, but it doesn't compare to the Hong Kong fight scenes of the same period. In the early fight scenes of the movie, we get an idea of the skill levels of both Leroy and Sho'nuff. These fights are a bit more simple in choreography. When we get to the final fights, the choreography becomes a bit more complicated. As you can imagine, since this is an American movie, the editing and camera work do not showcase the fights in the best way. At the end, we get to see Ernie Reyes Jr. bust loose on some bad guys, in a huge group battle. Taimak takes part in the group fight, and then eventually faces off against Sho'nuff. Julius Carry was not a trained martial artist, but he really went all out in his fight scenes. Taimak is a really talented martial artist and stuntman, and he got to show it off throughout this movie. His final fight against Sho'nuff is definitely a classic martial arts battle that will have you cheering by the end.

In conclusion, I highly recommend watching The Last Dragon. It's good, clean fun! It is lighthearted, funny, action-packed, and respectful towards Black and Asian culture. This is a movie of it's time, though; with references to arcades (though not really showing any games), music videos, and hip hop in the 1980s. Taimak should've become a bigger star after this movie, as well as several of his co-stars. Watch this movie for the Bruce Lee homages, the final fight scenes, and to see Taimak glow for one brief moment in movie history.

Here is the movie trailer:

Reviewed by David Williams

The Outlaw Johnny Black (2023) - Official Teaser Trailer

 The official teaser trailer for The Outlaw Johnny Black dropped today! Michael Jai White wrote and stars in this action comedy, brought to us by the people behind Black Dynamite (2009)! Here is the synopsis:

Hell-bent on avenging the death of his father, Johnny Black vows to gun down Brett Clayton and becomes a wanted man in the process. He goes into hiding, posing as a preacher in a small mining town that's been taken over by a notorious Land Baron.

I first heard of this movie seemingly years ago on Michael Jai White's Instagram. I remember him saying it was going to be more of a family film, at the time. I'm cool with that, as long as we see Michael kicking butt, as only he can, in it! The Outlaw Johnny Black comes out, only in theaters, on September 15, 2023. Can't wait to see this one!

 

The Paper Tigers (2020) - A Review

 

Trust me when I say, this movie is great!

The Paper Tigers is a martial arts comedy movie released in the United States in 2020 and stars Alain Uy, Ron Yuan, Mykel Shannon Jenkins, Yoshi Sudarso, Peter Adrian Sudarso, Gui DaSilva-Greene, Matthew Page, Jae Suh Park, Joziah Lagonoy, Andy Le, Brian Le, Ken Quitugua, Roger Yuan, and Yuji Okumoto. It was written and directed by Tran Quoc Bao, with action directed by Ken Quitugua.

From left: Hing, Danny, and Jim; the Three Tigers.

In Paper Tigers, Alain Uy plays Danny, a middle aged father dealing with a high-pressure job, his young son Ed (played by Joziah Lagonoy), and his ex wife Caryn (played by Jae Suh Park). On the day he has custody of his son, he finds out his former kung fu master (played by Roger Yuan) has died. Danny meets up with an old friend he hasn't seen in years, Hing (played by Ron Yuan), who has gained weight and has a bum knee. When Danny, Hing and their friend Jim (played by Mykel Shannon Jenkins) were younger, they were the best of friends, and they all studied kung fu together under Sifu Cheung, their master. They were the best fighters in the city, beating other martial arts challengers with ease. Danny was the best of the three fighters, and their sifu chose him to carry on the legacy of his style. One cocky challenger, Carter (played by Matthew Page) kept being defeated and made a fool of by Danny. Thirty years later, Danny, Hing, and Jim are older and haven't kept up practicing kung fu (Jim is now a mixed martial arts coach and is the only one still in fighting shape).

Danny and Hing find out from Carter that their sifu was murdered. Carter gives them some leads on finding people who may know who killed their sifu. They get Jim involved, even though Danny had a falling out with him years back. The three friends have a reputation, and they have to live up to it against some younger martial artists. We then find out why the friends became distant from each other and from their sifu. Danny has to deal with his ex-wife and being a good father and role model for his son. We also learn that the person who killed their sifu has a reputation of his own, and Danny has to be the one that faces him to avenge their master's death...

The Three Tigers face off against Martial Club?!?

I first heard about The Paper Tigers from a Martial Club post on social media saying they had roles in the movie. From then on, it has been on my radar. I did see it being sold in stores, but I was (and still am) broke, so I couldn't buy it and watch it. I randomly found it on Tubi, and I finally watched it. Did it live up to my expectations? It more than lived up to my expectations! I love this movie, as a matter of fact!

The Paper Tigers is a drama with a lot of comedy in it. The movie mainly focuses on Danny and how he deals with his daily obligations as a middle-aged man, and how he left martial arts behind. Danny, along with Hing and Jim, not only left kung fu behind, but they dishonored their master as well. This dishonor is basically what causes everything that happens in this movie. The character of Carter does bring a lot of the comedy, along with Hing, and it is very funny and not mean-spirited. There is a lot of heart in the story and in the characters; you root for the three tigers to overcome their obstacles and honor their master. The performances of the actors are excellent and very natural and believable. This is just a very well-made, enjoyable, and fun to watch movie.

The action in The Paper Tigers is excellent!

Though The Paper Tigers is a modern day kung fu movie, there are more styles displayed in the fight scenes. Andy Le and Brian Le (of the Martial Club stunt crew and Everything Everywhere All At Once stars) use more of a high-flying, acrobatic, yet powerful fighting style. It's always great to see them unleash in a movie! Since Jim (played by  Mykel Shannon Jenkins) is an MMA coach (and practitioner, I would guess) he uses more wrestling and Brazilian jiu jitsu type of moves. Hing is out of shape with an injured knee, so he can't fight to his greatest ability (but he is still pretty good). Danny, the best of the three tigers, is just out of fighting shape and has seemingly lost his fighting spirit. Trust me, though, he still has the skills deep within him. Carter (played by Matthew Page) is their childhood rival and is still in fighting shape. He is really good! If you ever wanted to see Master Ken (yes, that Master Ken) in a Hong Kong style fight, here is your chance! The final boss, played by Ken Quitugua (and the fight choreographer of the movie), is a martial arts killer and seemingly unstoppable. The fight scenes are very Hong Kong style, exciting, with a little comedy in them. The action is great in this one!

As you can imagine, I highly recommend The Paper Tigers! It has drama, it has comedy, it has awesome action, and it has heart. What more could you want in a movie? I loved every minute of it, and I hope you will, too. The film makers and actors in this movie should be really proud of the work they created. It is really good. I hope these guys all team up again one day, I need more of their movie magic in my life!

Reviewed by David Williams

The Last Boy Scout (1991) - A Review

 

An underrated 90s action movie.

The Last Boy Scout is a neo-noir action comedy movie released in the United States in 1991, starring Bruce Willis, Damon Wayans, Noble Willingham, Taylor Negron, Danielle Harris, Chelsea Field, and Halle Berry. The movie was directed by Tony Scott and was written by Shane Black.

Bruce Willis puts on a great performance as Joe Hallenbeck.

In The Last Boy Scout, Bruce Willis plays Joe Hallenbeck, a self-loathing wreck of a private detective who gets an assignment from his best friend to protect a stripper, Cory (played by Halle Berry). After finding out his wife is cheating on him, Joe meets Cory at the club she works at. Things are a bit tense between them, with Cory's boyfriend Jimmy Dix (played by Damon Wayans) making the situation a bit worse. We find out out that Cory is trying to get Jimmy his job back (Jimmy was a quarterback who got banned from the league for gambling and drug abuse). Things go bad for Joe, Cory, and Jimmy, with Joe and Jimmy being held in police custody over it. When released, Jimmy convinces Joe to let him help with the case. Joe reluctantly agrees, and things get wild from here. Joe and Jimmy escape death numerous times trying to get to the root of the case, with Joe's daughter Darian (played by Danielle Harris) even getting involved! (Keeping it kind of vague, I don't want to spoil the surprises.)

Damon Wayans and Bruce Willis make a great team! They are so good together!

The Last Boy Scout is one dark movie! Bruce Willis plays Joe as a guy who completely hates himself, and doesn't care about anything anymore. He has marital problems, and his daughter absolutely hates him! Despite all of this, we (the audience) still like him and care what happens to him. Though Joe is a good guy, he is very flawed. Damon Wayans as Jimmy is also very flawed, but we also see that he is a good guy deep down. The chemistry between Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans is excellent on screen (which is why it's so surprising that they hated each other off screen). Their characters respect each other, though the reveal is pretty surprising!

Things are dark and grimy (the football scenes at the start of the movie are amazing in how they are filmed), there are a lot of bastards in this movie, the violence is brutal, yet...this movie is hilarious! The Monday Night Football parody song/music video at the start of the movie is great! Bruce Willis as Joe says some of the funniest things in this movie! Damon Wayans is hilarious as well, as expected. A lot of unexpected comedy, too! Not only does Damon have great chemistry with Bruce Willis, but he has great chemistry with Danielle Harris as well. I guess you could classify this movie as a dark comedy because the jokes happen during some messed up situations sometimes!

The action is high octane! Some stuff you have to see to believe!

As said before, the action is pretty brutal. The football scene is a classic! Great to see Billy Blanks in a big Hollywood movie like this...though what happens to his character is pretty chilling. This movie mainly has gunplay as the main mode of combat, and it pretty good! You can tell that it was influenced by Hong Kong action movies. Bruce Willis shoots two guns at the same time in one scene, Chow Yun-Fat/John Woo style, and this was in 1991! There are big explosions as well, with the heroes narrowly escaping them. The climactic battle involves a sniper rifle and good old fisticuffs. The person Bruce Willis fights with has a pretty grisly end (you've got to see that scene)!

The Last Boy Scout is an underrated action movie, I feel. Tony Scott really knows how to make stylish action movies as well. The cinematography is beautiful in this. I highly recommend this movie! To think, the last time I saw this movie was in the early 90s, and I was way to young to be watching it as well! It always stuck with me, though. Great dialogue, great characters, interesting story, moody cinematography, fun action, plus it's funny? You can't go wrong watching this movie! Check it out!

Reviewed by David Williams