Very good camp classic of the 80's

aelroth

This is definitely an unrecognized classic of the eighties, which should deserve to be better known. The Last Dragon is certainly a cheesecake of a movie, a highly amusing pastiche and collage of the film and music genres popular in the early 80's, such as the Kung-Fu movie, the Breakdance movie, the video clip (references to Cyndi Lauper and Prince – watch the hilarious video clip à la Cyndi Lauper) –there's even a touch of fantasy. It's a Friday night guilty pleasure (in fact when I watched it) for all those who have been through the 80s.

Unlike Flashdance, it doesn't take itself too seriously: yes, it's (very) cheesy , undiluted 80s, but it's more stylish than you would think at first. Whereas of Flashdance you laugh of the movie, here you find yourself unexpectedly laughing with the movie. The whole cast is evidently taking a pleasure in this film –in particular Julius Carry – the "Shogun of Harlem"- and this pleasure passes on to us spectators. This movie is closer to camp movies such as "The Big Meater Eater", "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and further back in time "Jack the Giant Killer" and "The Son of Sinbad", rather than other 80's classics, because once again it doesn't take itself too seriously and yet has more qualities than many of the films of its time (don't mention "Highlander"). There's lots of action in this movie, but also singing and dancing as well as some romance. This film shows, irradiates much joy and pleasure, that you wonder why some refer to the 80s as the decade that everyone wants to forget...

This movie is hysterically funny from the beginning to the end, but underlying the humour it also touches on "serious" themes, such as cultural identity which reminds the excellent Ghost Dog by Jim Jarmusch. The main character in the Last Dragon, an African-American Kung Fu master follows cultural models from the East, while some of the Asian characters are strongly influenced by Soul, Funk and African-American culture. Both "The Last Dragon" and "Ghost Dog" show that cultural identity is not something which is fixed, but is fluid, exchangeable, undetermined – both movies show characters that adopt, appropriate and are appropriated by other cultures.... Don't get me wrong: the Last Dragon is unabashedly commercial, but it touches on themes normally "reserved" to "high art" (whereas Ghost Dog does it the other way around ;-) ), while remaining consistent with the slapstick tone and humour of the film.

Overall this movie is highly enjoyable. William Macy even makes a short, but very amusing appearance. You gotta see this movie!

score 10/10

aelroth 21 October 2006

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1502226/