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Big Trouble in Little China

Play trailer Poster for Big Trouble in Little China PG-13 1986 1h 39m Action Adventure Fantasy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
64% Tomatometer 157 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Kurt Russell stars as Jack Burton, a big-talking, wisecracking truck driver who's suddenly hurled into a wild adventure even he could never invent. At the root of it all is Lo Pan (James Hong), a 2,000 year old evil magician who rules an empire of spirits beneath San Francisco's Chinatown. Doomed to a fleshless existence, he can only be saved by a green-eyed Asian beauty. When the fiancé (Suzee Pai) of Jack's friend (Dennis Dun) is kidnapped by Lo Pan's minions, Jack goes to the rescue. He finds himself dodging demons, grappling with goblins and facing baffling terrors like the Room of the Upside-Down Hell as he battles his way through the labyrinth of Lo Pan's dark domain.
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Big Trouble in Little China

Big Trouble in Little China

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Critics Consensus

A joyously overstuffed blend of comedy, martial arts, and supernatural mayhem, Big Trouble in Little China makes little effort to be coherent but races along thanks to Kurt Russell's rowdy swagger and John Carpenter's kinetic direction.

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Critics Reviews

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Alexander Walker London Evening Standard Jun 2
The plots adds up to only a non-stop obstacle race. Go to Full Review
Adam Mars-Jones Independent (UK) Jun 2
The film is hectic but wooden, violent but bloodless. Go to Full Review
Jeff Strickler Minneapolis Star Tribune Jun 2
3/10
While there are some gems of humor in the film, they are buried in an avalanche of overkill. Go to Full Review
Lee Tuohy Sunday Independent (Ireland) Jul 29
Between Russell's hysterical John Wayne performance and Carpenter's non-stop action it's all fabulous fun. Go to Full Review
Mike Cidoni Gannett News Service Jun 15
1/4
Romantic banter has never seemed more forced. Go to Full Review
Robert Denerstein Denver Rocky Mountain News Jun 2
Director John Carpenter's summer adventure is a three-ring circus badly in need of a main attraction. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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A T @RT69716738 2h This film is the perfect example of: its so bad its good. Its a chessy action packed 80's film that has alot of suprises. I love that Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) is just as confused as am, but will still make it to the end. See more Clinton R @CWRoss48 1d With the sole exception of periodic decent soundtrack this "cinema" is dreadful in every regard. See more Petros T @PetrosTserpelis 3d The story itself is rather familiar at its core despite all the mystical stuff and sheer randomness, and this familiarity keeps the film from being, well, as big as it perhaps could. What really makes it is the humour, both in the dialogues and the gags, Kurt Russell's excellent performance, and the fact that the presumable protagonist (Russell's character) is actually not the protagonist; he just thinks he is, to our amusement, while in fact he is merely a bumbling yet self-centered sidekick. See more Thomas V @Dontcallmedude Aug 2 Kurt Russell summons his best john wayne acting style in this action movie. John Carpenter shows his wide range of combining action and science fiction in this fast paced movie. The supporting cast ties everything up to make this a Carpenter Classic. See more Landon J @Minxsykitty Jul 28 Very fun and playful throughout. I think this is my 3rd watch? Each time I've appreciated it more for what it is. I had a hard time making sense of the plot the first time, but it's better to not overthink it. I like the way Russell rejects Cattrall at the end lol. See more Adam C @RT92251294 Jul 19 one of the best movies of its time, love how the hero starts as a bit of an over reached cocky bloke only to become the person he talks about, still use a load of the one liners in this movie, just great fun and not so serious entertainment, perfect movie for a coming of age lad to enjoy and still watches 40 years on! See more Read all reviews
Big Trouble in Little China

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Movie Info

Synopsis Kurt Russell stars as Jack Burton, a big-talking, wisecracking truck driver who's suddenly hurled into a wild adventure even he could never invent. At the root of it all is Lo Pan (James Hong), a 2,000 year old evil magician who rules an empire of spirits beneath San Francisco's Chinatown. Doomed to a fleshless existence, he can only be saved by a green-eyed Asian beauty. When the fiancé (Suzee Pai) of Jack's friend (Dennis Dun) is kidnapped by Lo Pan's minions, Jack goes to the rescue. He finds himself dodging demons, grappling with goblins and facing baffling terrors like the Room of the Upside-Down Hell as he battles his way through the labyrinth of Lo Pan's dark domain.
Director
John Carpenter
Producer
Larry J. Franco
Screenwriter
Gary Goldman, David Weinstein, W.D. Richter
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
TAFT Entertainment, SLM Production Group, Twentieth Century Fox
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 2, 1986, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$11.0M
Runtime
1h 39m
Sound Mix
Magnetic Stereo 6 Track, Mono, Surround, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio
70mm, Scope (2.35:1)
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