Big Trouble in Little China

Starring: Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, James Hong, Victor Wong, Kate Burton, Peter Kwong, James Pax
Directed by: John Carpenter
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
1986

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A truck driver (Kurt Russell) reluctantly gets involved in a clash between supernatural forces in Chinatown.

Review:

Tim: What I love about Big Trouble in Little China is just how goofy the whole thing is. This is a film that is unique and not afraid to be a bit tongue-in-cheek as it delivers a movie very different than what we usually see. Sure, the film has some flaws, but it is still a solid, entertaining piece of filmmaking. This is a fun movie that's worth seeing.

The plot is still hard for me to even explain. There's this Chinese gang and they work for this weird, supernatural Chinese person. He has three supernatural martial artists who protect him. He is trying to marry a green-eyed Chinese woman. I think it's so he can live forever. The whole thing does get a bit complex, but the novelty of it is one of the film's strongest aspects. I just had to laugh at the sheer craziness of the story, especially because our hero is an American truck driver. There's real value in telling a story that hasn't been told a hundred times before, and I really appreciate John Carpenter and the writers going out on a limb here. All this craziness could have made the movie ridiculous, but its tongue-in-cheek approach saves it.

The film is very lighthearted and almost winks at the audience as if to say, "Can you believe how crazy all of this is?" The movie works to subvert our expectations around every corner. Just look at our protagonist- played very well by Kurt Russell. His Jack Burton is a great character- a selfish, rough-around-the-edges truck driver with no real other skill set. He projects this image of not caring about anyone or anything, but deep down, he has a big heart. It's fun to watch him get into a myriad of situations that are way over his head. He is the protagonist, and yet for most of the movie, he doesn't really do too much. He doesn't know how to fight, but he is still willing to try. He is our window into this crazy world. I loved how he reacted with incredulity to the insane events happening all around him. Russell deserves a great deal of credit because he had to be willing to come across as a bit of a dolt. He is heroic, but in an incredibly unheroic way. It's really a very different character and the uniqueness there was refreshing. Russell plays him perfectly.

The supporting cast is fairly good. Kim Cattrall was fine- maybe annoying on occasion, but decent for the most part. I loved seeing Victor Wong here- he always adds to a film. Dennis Dun was very good, although it was strange how his character changed from a scared man to an incredible fighter with no explanation for the transition. There are quite a few other good cast members as well.

I really enjoyed that Big Trouble in Little China did a good job of blending the action, adventure, and comedy elements together. This is a movie that had fun telling its story, so it's no surprise that the audience has fun watching it. The movie does have flaws- it feels like it really drags its feet in the middle, giving the 99 minute film the feeling that it was a little too long. There are so many absurd elements that eventually, it gets a little overwhelming. And, I still don't fully understand the plot and what the villains were trying to achieve. I mostly get the main guy's plan, but why were all his henchmen there? The motivations weren't clearly enough defined. The ending of the film had some strengths but was a little unsatisfying as well.

While flawed, Big Trouble in Little China is a lot of fun and it offers a unique experience. This is not a film you've seen a dozen times already and that is refreshingly exciting.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



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