big_trouble_in_little

Big Trouble in Little China

U.S. Release Date: 7/2/86
Running Time: 1:39
Rated: PG-13

Cast: Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, James Hong, Dennis Dun, Victor Wong

Director: John Carpenter
Screenplay: Gary Goldman & David Z. Weinstein, W.D. Richter (adaptation)
Music: John Carpenter & Alan Howarth
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Call it camp, cult, or classic. Big Trouble in Little China brings quotable cheese, admirable crap, and good ole’ plain fun together in what director John Carpenter calls “one of his personal favorites.” Be it the dark humor, B-action, or “Tao Alchemian sorcery,” Big Trouble in Little China possesses the goods necessary to be called a good bad movie. If you’re in a less than serious mood, take off your thinking cap and “listen to the pork-chop express.”

When all-American trucker Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) defeats his friend Wang Chi (Dennis Dun) in a night-long game of dominos, Jack accompanies Wang to the airport to pick up Wang’s green-eyed girlfriend Miao Yin (Suzee Pai) and his rightful winnings. However, Jack and Wang are caught off-guard, as a Chinatown gang called the Lords of Death kidnaps Miao Yin and delivers her to an immortal being named David Lo Pan (James Hong).

To appease his daemon and lift his curse, Lo Pan must marry a green-eyed girl and sacrifice her to the heavens; Miao Yin fits the bill. Thus, Jack and Wang must rescue Miao Yin from Lo Pan and his stormy thugs Thunder (Carter Wong), Lightning (James Pax), and Rain (Peter Kwong). To do so, they unite with Gracie Law (Kim Cattrall), Egg Shen (Victor Wong), Margo (Kate Burton), and friends.

On the whole, Big Trouble in Little China is a ménage à trios of the camp of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the bafflement of “a radical Alice in Wonderland,” and the masculinity of both Dirty Harry and any John Wayne film hand-rolled into a perfect ball of spicy cinematic meat. With this in mind, Big Trouble in Little China is also comparable to Tampopo. Not only were both pictures release in 1986, but both also feature a trucker/hero who strolls into town, gets the girl, and saves the day. In addition, both are westerns on the surface, but more at the core. Simply replace Tampopo’s food focus with Chinese black magic, monsters, and martial arts and you arrive at Big Trouble in Little China.

Unlike Tampopo, Big Trouble in Little China is a cheese fest of green flame, humanized lighting, intoxicating magic potions, hairy beasts, silly swordplay, over-the-top grunts, goofy gun battles, elevators that only go down, and a floating green sphere composed of green eyes. While the picture is mostly innocent amusement and delightful action tied together, it’s still largely absurd. Additionally, why include the Tara (Min Luong) character?

All things considered, what makes Big Trouble in Little China unforgettable is Kurt Russell’s fine portrayal of Jack Burton. Think of it as an easy-going version of Snake Pliskin with a heavy John Wayne influence. In fact, if you listen close enough, you can hear the impersonation of Wayne in Kurt’s lines. With his Harley hat, black shades, and Chinese cut-off tee, the C.B. D.J. certainly makes B.T.L.C. a T.K.O.

Surprisingly, Jack endures all that he encounters to collect a mere $1,148.00. While he occasionally questions the madness he witnesses, Jack never shows his fear. Instead, he struts around with “cracker-jack timing” and the mentality that he was “born ready.” Despite being pitched as the hero, Jack doesn’t do anything heroic until the climax. Be that as it may, no one other than Kurt Russell could maintain manliness after wearing red lipstick and leaving the girl behind without a goodbye kiss.

Even though there’s no need to “haul ass” to your favorite rental store/website to pick up Big Trouble in Little China, the movie promises “nothing or double,” delivers on double, and surprises with triple. When the day comes that you do set out to see Big Trouble in Little China, be sure to throw the DVD into the player with precision; after-all, it may shoot back out at you, because “It’s all in the reflexes.”