WHO IS THE MASTER?
Release Date: March 22, 1985
Director: Michael Schultz
Starring: Taimak, Vanity, Christopher Murney, Julius Carry, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Jim Moody, Esther Marrow, Faith Prince, Glen Eaton
Favorite quote: “You sure look like a master to me…” – Laura Charles
Oftentimes, I think about movies I love and mistakenly figure that everyone has seen them. When I realize many haven’t, I’m dumbstruck. How can you have NOT seen this movie??? Then I remember most of those people were either too young or not even conceived back then.
The Last Dragon is one of them. The 1985 martial arts romp is one of those movies that I’ll occasionally pop in just to savor its delightful cheesiness. Often referred to under Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon, the movie screams KUNG-FU but has the musical heart of its namesake.
Berry Gordy has always been an ambitious entrepreneur. He’s the father of Motown Records, a heavily influential record label from the 60s to well into the 80s. His stable of stars is a literal who’s who of stars. Motown has featured Smokey Robinson, Commodores, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Diana Ross & the Supremes, and the Jackson 5. The Motown Sound, as his signature production style came to be known as, churned out more hits than a Rocky Balboa-Apollo Creed fight and won more awards than can be named. Even in the 80s, Robinson, Wonder, Gaye, Commodores lead singer Lionel Ritchie, and Ross were mainstays in Billboard’s Top 40.
Not content with just music production, Gordy relocated to L.A. in 1972 and began to dabble in film production. His first movie, the Billie Holiday tribute Lady Sings the Blues, earned Diana Ross an Oscar nomination among the five the film received and introduced the world to Billy Dee Williams. His follow-up, Mahogany, again starred both Ross and Williams and again earned an Oscar nomination for best original song (Theme from “Mahogany”). Despite his new occupation, Gordy’s ear for music did not leave him.
In 1985, he switched up his style and set out to produce a light-hearted martial arts film. True to his past, however, the movie would still feature music as its backbone. The result, The Last Dragon, did not win him any accolades. Critics at the time were pretty harsh about the movie. Over time, however, the movie earned a rabid cult following from people who appreciate the movie’s light, silly tone, and its larger-than-life characters.
The movie stars Taimak, a then-unknown martial artist in his first acting role, as Leroy Green. Leroy idolizes Bruce Lee dreams of becoming a great martial artist. His Master, however, tells him that he has learned all he can teach and has attained the level of “The Last Dragon.” (Cue to Cinema Sins saying, “Roll Credits,” and a sin being added to the counter.) At this level, he should be able to attain “The Glow”, a mystical power where his hands glow with concentrated energy. A true master – says the Master – would be able to exhibit the Glow over his entire body. The Master then gives him a medal, tells him it belonged to Bruce Lee, and sends him off to find Master Sum Dum Goy (GET IT??? GET THE JOKE???)), who he says will teach him how to attain the Glow.
His family, who own a pizza shop in Harlem, are supportive but worry about his very awkward demeanor. Daddy Green (Jim Moody) and Mama Green (Esther Marrow) are supportive, but younger brother Richie (Leo O’Brien) and sister Sophia (yes, THAT Keisha Knight Pulliam) chide him on his apparent dorkiness.
Enter The Shogun of Harlem, aka Sho’Nuff (Julius Carry). He is a rival martial artist with a gang of martial artist ruffians, and he wants to fight Leroy in order to establish his dominance. Leroy constantly dodges his challenges, which infuriates him more.
Things change for Leroy when, on his quest to find Master Sum Dum Goy, comes across an attempt to kidnap Laura Charles (Vanity). Charles, a video host of a show called 7th Heaven, is sought after by Eddie Arkadian (Chris Murney). Arkadian is a video arcade mogul (as if his surname didn’t tip you off) who’s trying to break his girlfriend Angela Viracco (Faith Prince) into the music business. He figures getting Viracco’s music videos onto Charles’s show will propel her to stardom. Charles, however, refuses to do so, which leads to the kidnapping attempt.
The rest of the movie deals with Charles taking a liking to Leroy Green, who is attracted to Charles but is more focused on his mission. All the while, Arkadian keeps plotting to convince Charles to feature his girlfriend. That plot eventually leads to Sho’Nuff, who joins Arkadian as a way to get at Leroy.
There are so many elements to this movie to unpack. I’ll start with Taimak. He’s innocent and extremely naïve as Leroy Green. Truth is, that was one of the qualities that led screenwriter Louis Venosta to cast him as the main male lead over Tae Bo creator Billy Blanks. Well, that and the fact that Taimak is a MOTHERFUCKING BEAST!!! Seriously. He has black belts in Jeet Kune Do, Tae Kwon Do, Wing Chun, Jiu-Jitsu, Hapkido, Goju-Ryu and Chinese Goju. The last discipline was learned by Taimak under legendary martial artist Ron van Clief. Seriously! Taimak can probably break both of your arms just by blinking!
Taimak’s innocence as Leroy played extremely well opposite Vanity’s sexiness. No really, the late Denise Katrina Matthews, aka Vanity, exuded a sexual aura at the time that almost dragged me kicking and screaming into puberty. It’s a shame to remember her that way now that she’s left us. I feel ashamed for doing so, especially since she spent her life after that era trying to shake that image. But the only three women who made me think naughtier thoughts than her back then were Lynda Carter, Catherine Bach, and Appolonia Kotero.
For those playing the home game, Appolonia and Vanity were both Prince protégés. You see? I TOLD YOU PRINCE WON!
Then there is the late Julius Carry’s Sho’nuff. He is easily the most recognized and most quoted character in this ensemble. If I shout, “AM I THE GREATEST?” in a crowded room and more than three people yell back, “SHO’NUFF”, I know that I’m in the right place. Venosta didn’t envision the bombastic Sho’Nuff he got when he created the role, but fell in love with what resulted. Carry, who has also left us way too early, managed to create a character that is emblazoned in the minds of thousands and thousands of cult film lovers.
The other supporting characters, including Leroy’s bombastic but weak friend Johnny Yu (Glen Eaton), are great. Arkadian and Viracco seem like caricatures of the slimy mob dude and the ditzy broad, respectively, but do a great job of holding up their end. Faith Prince’s stint as Viracco had me in tears, especially with her ridiculous performance of “Test Drive.” No, seriously! THIS IS MAGIC!!!
Speaking of music, Berry Gordy’s influence is present in The Last Dragon’s soundtrack. The breakout hit from the soundtrack was DeBarge’s “Rhythm of the Night”, but other songs did well, including tracks from Scatman Crothers, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, and Syreeta.
And, before someone accuses me of leaving out the obvious joke, let me drop it now: TAIMAK WAS THE FIRST MAN TO GO SUPER SAIYAN!!!
There. Are we good? Got it out of your system?
Despite its bad reception in 1985, The Last Dragon has gained a large audience after the fact. The movie has even been held up as an example of breaking Asian and African-American stereotypes. In 2002, a paper in the Journal of Asian American Studies looked at Leroy Brown’s character. Today, Leroy Brown and Sho’Nuff have transcended the movie and have become pop culture staples. In a bit of badassery, Busta Rhymes dressed as Sho’Nuff for a video.
Have I mentioned that Busta Rhymes is DA MAN?
For those interested in learning more about the behind-the-scenes history of The Last Dragon, I recommend reading this oral history by Uproxx. Some of my points for this article were pulled from it. For those who have yet to see this movie, you almost owe it to yourself to see it. As cheesy and campy as it gets, it is way more entertaining and fun.
