The main thing I remembered aboutThe Last Dragonwas it always seemed dangerous to me.
Maybe I just could never figure out when it started and only saw bits and pieces.
Maybe I was just a wimp.
The Last Dragon turns 40 this week. Let’s collectively adore it.Image: Sony
Whatever the case, thats how I felt.
A rich arcade owner named, wait for it, Eddie Arkadian (Get it?
Each time Eddie attempts to kidnap or intimidate Laura though, Leroy just so happens to be there.
Sho-nuff and his crew go after Leroy. Who, yes, is often called Bruce Leroy and wears clothes like Bruce Lee. – Sony
Through this storyline,The Last Dragons quirky originality is revealed.
For example, its not just a martial arts movie.
Its also a deep dive into the 1985 pop culture.
Laura and Leroy are the best – Sony
All of which Eddies girl Angie also embraces.
Basically,The Last Dragontells us it doesnt matter whether youre a good guy or a bad guy.
The look and sound of this era are everywhere and for everyone.
Leroy likes Laura back but has no idea how to express it, adding to the fun.
Then theres Leroys younger brother Richie (played by Leo OBrien, who sadly passed away in 2012).
Richie may be a kid but hes everything Leroy isnt: confident, smooth, and charismatic.
You want Laura and Leroy to be together but its almost better when they arent.
All of this works in large part because of Taimak.
His performance as Leroy is akin to a cinematic puppy dog.
Kind eyes, fierce loyalty, a little dumb, but completely lovable.
Vanity too does an incredible job of making Laura a layered, believable character.
We totally buy that someone this successful could be so wholly disarmed by love.
Leroy finds the glowliterallyand reaches the final level, defeating Sho-nuff in the process.
Watching it again, the scene brought me to tears as the childhood nostalgia came flooding in.
Thats when it hit me.
AsThe Last Dragonended, I realized those climatic moments were responsible for all this.
I definitely had memories of the rest of the movie but the ending?
I remembered every single nuance of it.
The flashbacks, the line deliveries, the perfect arc of the water spraying off Leroys head.
The movie, like Leroy, eventually finds that extra level of enlightenment.
The Last Dragondoesnt just stand the test of time, it aces it.
The Last Dragoncelebrates its 40th anniversary on March 22.
Its not currently streaming anywhere but is available on Blu-ray and appears on services from time to time.
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