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4K Limited Edition Steelbook Review: BERRY GORDY’S THE LAST DRAGON

Home » 4K Limited Edition Steelbook Review: BERRY GORDY’S THE LAST DRAGON

Sep 24, 2023 Posted by in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

Leroy Green (Taimak) is a young Black man living in New York City who has fully embraced a life dedicated to martial arts. When he is told by his sensei that they have finished their journey together—that he has reached the final level of his training, Leroy is confused. It was his understanding that his training wouldn’t be complete until he experienced The Glow—a state where the spirit takes over from the mind and guides the body without thought, and the Master experiences a sublime glow all over his body. So Leroy sets out on a search for a new Master to help him ascend to this final level.

Leroy is typically a quiet, peaceful and reserved young man, only using his skills as a means of defense. He’s just trying to find a new master, but trouble seems to be finding him. First there’s Sho’nuff (Julius J. Carry III), the self-proclaimed “Shogun of Harlem”. A tall, menacing man who always appears in public along with his large posse, But there’s only one guy who stands between him and total supremacy, and that is Leroy Green, or “Bruce Leroy” as others refer to him. Eager to squash this, Sho’nuff seeks out Leroy, challenging him, but Leroy consistently refuses to fight him. So Sho’nuff decides to amp up his threats, going after Leroy’s family and friends.

Meanwhile, Eddie Arkadian (Chris Murney), the video game king, is eager to make his girlfriend, Angela Viracco (Faith Prince), a star. Laura Charles (Vanity) is the veejay/host of the hottest music video/dance show on TV, Laura’s Video Hot Pix. Eddie has been trying to get her to play Angela’s videos on her show, but these requests just keep getting ignored. So he sends Rock (Mike Starr) and some other goons to kidnap Laura to force her to comply. However, Leroy happens to be walking by and foils the attempt. And it’s love at first sight for both of them, though Leroy isn’t the most experienced when it comes to women. Eddie isn’t happy about the turn of events, and starts assembling a new team of bad guys to hunt down Leroy.

Can Leroy fight off all these enemies, get the girl, and finally get The Glow?!

I was a big fan of The Last Dragon growing up, but it has probably been at least 15-20 years since I last saw it, so I was excited to check it out again on Sony’s new 4K release. The film is just as fun and entertaining as I remembered, and so deliciously ’80s. There’s so much great kung-fu action and humor throughout. The characters are so over the top, but in a way that still feels believable. And the music is amazing—but what else would you expect with the legendary Berry Gordy as a producer?!

Taimak is perfectly cast as the soft-spoken Leroy Green. He plays the meek, inexperienced and socially awkward young man to perfection. But when it’s time to fight, he delivers, taking down enemies with an effortless air of confidence. The only person who seems to scare Leroy is Sho’nuff, which may partially be why he refuses to fight him. Also, when Leory is around Laura, he gets a bit tongue-tied. He is smitten with her, and she with him, but he’s so inexperienced, he doesn’t pick up on her obvious flirting. This leads to some hilarious and awkward moments. Vanity is also great as this sweet, lovable woman, who isn’t going to let anyone push her around or tell her what to do. She likes being saved by Leroy, but that doesn’t define her. She knows she likes him and goes after him. Vanity also gets to show off her vocal skills, performing a song during the film.

In the villain department, you’ve got the crazy Eddie Arkadian, who’s even got a fish tank in his office containing some sort of flesh-eating creature. He’s always looking for someone new to manage so he can ride off their stardom. First it was his goon, Rock, but his boxing career didn’t pan out. Now it’s his girlfriend Angela. She’s got the style of Cyndi Lauper meets Madonna, and her songs are sexy (though a bit wacky). She has what it takes to make it in the MTV generation, but no one will give her a chance. So Eddie will make them. Chris Murney is great as the over-the-top super-villain, and Faith Prince is so much fun as the ditsy singer with a heart, who doesn’t realize the lengths her boyfriend will go to to make her a star. But even more ridiculous and over-the-top is Julius Carry as Sho’nuff, from his larger than life stature, to his amazing hair, and elaborate kabuki-like outfits to make him look like a samurai/shogun. Sho’nuff also travels with his 6-person posse, each of whom has their own unique style and attitude. When he enters a room, he just has to chant “Who’s the master?” and they all reply in unison “Sho’nuff!”.

The film also has a wonderful array of side characters, including Leroy’s parents and hilariously over-confident little brother Richie (Leo O’Brien), and student Johnny Yu (Glen Eaton), who’s hoping to fake it until he makes it. Some recognizable guest stars include a very young looking William H. Macy as a producer on Laura’s show; Ernie Reyes Jr. as one of Leroy’s students—he went on to star in the TV series Sidekicks and the second Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie; plus a really young Keshia Knight as Leroy’s baby sister Sophia.

I never really thought about, but this film was probably pretty groundbreaking for its time, giving viewers a Black superhero to root for. In general, the cast is quite diverse—decades before “diversity” became the buzz word it is today—especially when it comes to Sho’nuff’s gang. The film also likes to subvert stereotypes. Leroy is a Black man who loves Bruce Lee movies and Asian culture, and we also see a trio of young Asian men obsessed with Black culture. Plus, Leroy’s parents own an Italian pizza shop.

The film also has an amazing Motown soundtrack, including music by Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Syreeta, Rockwell, Charlene, Willie Hutch, Alfie, Vanity and more. Plus, it introduced the world to DeBarge’s “Rhythm of the Night,” which is still one of my all-time favorites.

For its 30th anniversary back in 2015, The Last Dragon was released on a Special Edition Blu-ray, which already looked and sounded great. For this new release, the feature has been scanned from the original camera negative, and is presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision, approved by director Michael Schultz, along with an all-new Dolby Atmos audio track. Comparing the new 4K disc with the previous Blu-ray, this new 4K release adds some more natural-looking grain, clarity in faces, and richer colors. The colors are especially noticeable in Sho’nuff’s introduction at the movie theater, a scene that has a red tone to it. In the 4K release, this scene looks clearer and less dark. The new Atomos track is also quite good, providing a nice general immersive ambiance, which really comes out in the larger fight scenes, or in the Seventh Heaven TV studio scenes. But it is also noticeable even when not so prominent, like the sounds of cars and traffic outside when Leroy is teaching in his studio.

Sony’s new 4K Ultra HD release includes both the previous 30th anniversary Blu-ray disc as well as a new 4K disc, which are placed overlapping on the right side of a beautiful new Steelbook case. An insert provides instructions on how to redeem a 4K Movies Anywhere-compatible digital copy of the film. The bonus material from the previous release can be found only on the Blu-ray, and has not been ported over the the 4K disc. This includes a 24-minute behind-the-scenes featurette with the cast/crew, and an audio commentary with director Michael Schultz. New to this release is a hilarious and entertaining audio commentary track from comedian Amber Ruffin and her sister Lacey Lamar, who are huge fans of the film.





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Film: (1:48:17)

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