Starring: Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, James Hong, Victor Wong, Kate Burton, Donald Li, Carter Wong, Peter Kwong, James Pax, Suzee Pai, and Chao Li Chi
Directed By: John Carpenter
Adaptation By: W.D. Richter
Written By: Gary Goldman and David Z. Weinstein
Produced By: Larry J. Franco
Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: Approximately 99 minutes
Budget: $25 Million
Genre: Action/Adventure/Comedy
Release Date: July 2, 1986
The summer of 1986 was filled with great action-adventure films that have gone on to become classics either by greatness (Aliens and The Fly) or via the cool factor (Top Gun). Somewhere in between those two categories lies John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China.
Pre-dating America’s growing fascination with eastern culture and tradition by the better part of a decade, Big Trouble in Little China was ahead of its time, which may be part of the reason it bombed in theaters 24 years ago. Like a number of cult classics that came before and after, the film found its audience thanks to home video and frequent television airplay. The film, originally set in the Old West before a radical reworking by script doctor W.D. Richter (director of another ’80s cult classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai), doesn’t take itself too seriously which makes the over-the-top action and comedy all the more enjoyable for receptive viewers. You either thoroughly love or thoroughly hate the film, there is no middle ground to speak of.
Big Trouble in Little China stars Kurt Russell (in full-blown John Wayne mode) as Jack Burton – a trash-talking, all-American truck driver – with a smart-ass remark for everything and attitude to spare. Jack is one of filmdom’s greatest bumbling anti-heroes, but more on that later. The story kicks off with Jack making a quick, routine trip to San Francisco to visit his buddy Wang Chi (Dennis Dun) in Chinatown. Once there, Jack and Wang shoot the breeze over a spirited, night-long card game during which Jack wipes the floor with every player, including Wang.
The following morning, Wang informs Jack that his beautiful, green-eyed Chinese girlfriend Miao Yin (Suzee Pai) is due to arrive that very day from China following years of effort to get her to the states. Jack takes the temporarily cash-strapped (and still-indebted) Wang to the airport to pick her up only to be foiled by some street thugs that kidnap her right before their eyes.
Jack and Wang immediately set out to rescue Miao Yin aided by a crafty local female attorney, Gracie Law (Kim Cattrall), who was present at the scene of the kidnapping. Gracie’s assertion that Miao Yin was sold into a well-known prostitution ring run out of Chinatown turns out to be right. Jack and Wang’s planned rescue attempt of Miao Yin from the brothel she’s being held captive at proves unsuccessful when she’s kidnapped – yet again – by a trio of goons with mystical powers (Thunder, Lightning and Rain) known as the “Three Storms.” They work for Lo Pan (James Hong), a 2000-year-old evil magician with ties to a powerful secret society known as the “Wing Kong.” Lo Pan needs Miao Yin (green eyes and all) in order to fulfill a centuries-old penance he owes the Gods in order to become “of flesh again.”
Enter good-guy sorcerer Egg Shen (Victor Wong), who masquerades as a Chinatown tour guide, and Wang’s good friend Eddie Lee (Donald Li), to help Jack and Wang infiltrate the dangerous underworld to rescue Miao Yin and to take Lo Pan out for good.
One aspect that separates Big Trouble in Little China from more traditional Hollywood action/adventure fare is that Russell isn’t really the hero of the film, his Jack Burton is more of a reluctant sidekick to Dennis Dun’s heroic Wang Chi. Envision the “Green Hornet” in reverse, where the Green Hornet is all bravado and Kato has bravado and mad martial art skills to spare. Come to think of it, wasn’t that the case with “The Green Hornet” to begin with?
Russell’s Jack Burton knows absolutely nothing about what’s going on and continues to remain clueless throughout. As for the performances, Russell delivers a comic tour-de-force and serves as the audience’s voice of reason. He’s matched note-for-note by Dun’s great work as Wang Chi, delivering a performance that in a better world would have turned him into a household name. Cattrall is in prime His Girl Friday-mode throughout, and looks like a million bucks to boot. The chemistry between her and Russell is palpable.
Critical reaction to the film was split to say the least. But for fans, especially those who grew up watching the film, like myself, Big Trouble in Little China is critic-proof. It’s also arguably one of the best big-budget, B-movies ever made.
In August 2009, Twentieth Century Fox (the film’s distributor) re-issued the film on Blu-ray featuring all the extras that can also be found on the double-disc DVD box set (released back in 2001), including an entertaining and candid feature-length audio commentary by director John Carpenter and Kurt Russell.
Big Trouble in Little China is available on Blu-ray and DVD from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
