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?
Article comments
1 - El Bicho
I don't see how it's a "good bad movie." Where's the bad? It's a very funny action film. What's most interesting is that while Jack Burton is the main character of the story, he's unaware he's the sidekick.
2 - Toni
This movie is all sorts of awesome!
And yes, I agree with El Bicho's observation that Jack is actually the loudmouthed sidekick.
3 - El Bicho
I got that from the commentary track with John and Kurt, so I can't take credit for that.
4 - Jeffrey
One of the best movies ever. A subversive action movie, a great John Wayne parody, and an excellent homage to kung-fu movies long before the world heard of Yuen Wo-Ping.
Watch this back to back with "They Live" for the best John Carpenter 1-2 punch.
5 - Brandon Valentine
The "bad" is in the..."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."
With it's fantasy/parody/western approach Big Trouble in Little China should have been filmed in Wisconsin, because it's an all-out cheese fest. But, I guess that's what makes the film a cult phenomenon and "one of the best movies ever."
I also agree with El Bicho's sidekick observation in saying that, "Despite being pitched as the hero, Jack doesn’t do anything heroic until the climax." It is Wang who leads the charge and slaughters the bad guys (for the most part). Yet, Jack still possesses the mentality and confidence of the hero.