Taimak

(On Cable TV, August 2020) While I can recognize in The Last Dragon all of the elements of a cult classic (what with its attempt to set a pure martial arts film within the black community), I simply can’t get as much enjoyment out of it as I should. There’s plenty that I do like here: A black retelling of the hero’s journey, Vanity in a featured role, a willingness to go over-the-top in characterization and scene conception, and a tone that doesn’t always take itself seriously. But note the “always”: there are some weird tonal shifts here, more evidence of a lack of control over the material than deliberate shifts. There’s also a budget issue that prevents the film from achieving some of its objectives – what should be funny or menacing ends up closer to goofy and I was left wanting by the entire experience. The soundtrack is not bad, though – “The Rhythm of the Night’ originates from this film, and the rest of the songs aren’t bad either. In another universe, maybe Taimak would have become a major martial arts actor with a long string of action movies to his name. Here, however, he’s a 19-year-old youngster who doesn’t always have the gravitas required for the role… even if the role doesn’t always call for it. I don’t want to be too hard on The Last Dragon, considering that I can see what it was going for, but I’m left unsatisfied by the film.