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Movies / On DVD / Big Trouble in Little China
Big Trouble in Little China

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Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

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Reviews Counted:32

Fresh:27

Rotten:5

Average Rating:6.9/10

Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Synopsis: A cult favorite (and one of director John Carpenter's personal favorites), BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA is a fantasy-action film that is brilliantly imaginative, funny, and absorbing. Kurt Russell... A cult favorite (and one of director John Carpenter's personal favorites), BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA is a fantasy-action film that is brilliantly imaginative, funny, and absorbing. Kurt Russell plays hard-boiled truck driver Jack Burton, who gets caught in a bizarre conflict within, and underneath, San Francisco's Chinatown. An ancient Chinese prince and Chinatown crimelord has kidnapped a beautiful green-eyed woman, who is the fiancee to Jack's best friend. Jack must help his friend rescue the girl before the evil Lo Pan uses her to break the ancient curse that keeps him a fleshless and immortal spirit. Carpenter uses all the best elements of martial arts films, 1940s old action serials, Chinese mythology and straight-forward American adventure to make up a tale wild with imagination. Kurt Russell is wonderful as the brash, brave, and reluctant hero Jack Burton, who is hysterically out of place in this world of magic potions, goblins and curses. A visually stunning work that ranks as one of Carpenter's best films. [More]

Starring: Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, James Hong, Dennis Dun

Starring: Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, James Hong, Dennis Dun, Victor Wong, Kate Burton, Carter Wong, Peter Kwong, James Pax, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

Director: John Carpenter

Director: John Carpenter
Screenwriter: W.D. Richter, Gary Goldman, David Z. Weinstein
Producer: Larry J. Franco
Composer: Alan Howarth, John Carpenter

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Aug 4, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Directed by thrill master John Carpenter, this edge-of-your seat adventure stars Kurt Russell as Jack Burton, a tough-talking, wisecracking truck driver whose hum-drum life on the road takes a sudden supernatural tailspin when his best friend's fiancee is kidnapped. Speeding to the rescue, Jack finds himself deep beneath San Francisco's Chinatown, in a murky, creature-filled world ruled by Lo Pan, a 2000-year-old magician who mercilessly presides over an empire of spirits. Dodging demons and facing baffling terrors, Jack battles his way through Lo Pan's dark domain in a full-throttle, action-riddled ride to rescue the girl. Co-starring Kim Cattrall, this effects-filled sci-fi spectacle speeds to an incredible, twist-taking finish.
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    Reviews for Big Trouble in Little China

    • T-Meter Critics
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    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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    Reviews
    Tomatometer Critic Review Category
    tomato

    Fernando F. Croce

    A film to embody the Eighties, and justify them

    Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 15 2009 05:59 PM

    CinePassion

    tomato
    3/4

    Peter Canavese

    A 'B'-movie-style Western meets Eastern, a supernatural 'chopsocky' fantasy with leading man Kurt Russell doing a feature-length impression of a dead movie star. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. [Blu-ray]

    Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 12 2009 05:35 PM

    Groucho Reviews

    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 26 2009 03:17 AM

    Variety

    N/R

    Rumsey Taylor

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 03 2006 03:17 AM

    Not Coming to a Theater Near You

    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 09 2006 03:17 AM

    Time Out

    tomato
    3/5

    Cole Smithey

    No review available.

    comment Comment | Oct., 10 2005 08:11 PM

    ColeSmithey.com

    tomato
    3/5

    Chuck O'Leary

    No review available.

    comment Comment | Oct., 09 2005 08:10 PM

    Fantastica Daily

    tomato
    4/4

    Phil Villarreal

    The high-octane action comedy takes all that was worthwhile from decades of B-flicks and distills it into a maximum-concentration explosion of cinematic TNT.

    Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 22 2005 07:40 AM

    Arizona Daily Star

    splat
    2/5

    Emanuel Levy

    No review available.

    comment Comment | Jun., 26 2005 04:44 PM

    EmanuelLevy.Com

    tomato
    4/5

    Steve Crum

    Imperfect, yes...but still great cultish fun with Kurt Russell.

    comment Comment | Jun., 01 2005 08:29 PM

    Video-Reviewmaster.com

    tomato
    4/5

    Michael A. Smith

    Russell and Carpenter make a great team.

    comment Comment | Apr., 15 2005 11:07 PM

    Nolan's Pop Culture Review

    tomato
    4/5

    Scott Weinberg

    A wholly enjoyable mixture of action, comedy, romance, and horror.

    comment Comment | Apr., 02 2005 09:59 PM

    eFilmCritic.com

    tomato
    3/5

    Andy Klein

    No review available.

    comment Comment | Sep., 02 2004 10:36 PM

    Los Angeles CityBeat

    N/R

    Jeffrey M. Anderson

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 17 2004 08:16 AM

    Combustible Celluloid

    tomato
    4/5

    Gregory Weinkauf

    Big rave in little blurb!

    comment Comment | Mar., 17 2004 01:35 PM

    New Times

    tomato
    3/5

    Mark Palermo

    No review available.

    comment Comment | Mar., 10 2004 04:16 PM

    Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

    splat
    2/5

    James O'Ehley

    No review available.

    comment Comment | Nov., 27 2003 03:48 AM

    Sci-Fi Movie Page

    splat
    1/5

    Alex Sandell

    I really hated this.

    comment 6 Comments | Oct., 29 2003 10:51 PM

    Juicy Cerebellum

    tomato
    3/5

    Carol Cling

    No review available.

    comment Comment | Oct., 17 2003 01:52 PM

    Las Vegas Review-Journal

    tomato
    3/5

    Ryan Cracknell

    No review available.

    comment Comment | Jul., 16 2003 02:20 AM

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