Big Trouble in Little China

Play trailer

Big Trouble in Little China

PG-13

1986

1h 39m

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

71%

Tomatometer

69 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

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 crime lord has kidnapped a beautiful green-eyed woman, who is the fiancée 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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Brimming with energy and packed with humor, Big Trouble in Little China distills kung fu B-movies as affectionately as it subverts them.

Read Critics Reviews

Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

06/29/2021

2/4

A rollicking, colourful comic strip of a movie with bells on.

Go to Full Review

Eleanor Ringel Cater

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

06/29/2021

Carpenter and his lively cast seem to be having such a good time that the easiest thing to do is relax and enjoy the ride. In a way, this is the movie "Escape from New York" was trying to be but never quite managed to pull off.

Go to Full Review

Kathleen Carroll

New York Daily News

06/29/2021

2/4

Watching Kurt Russell display not only a set of bulging biceps, but also... easy-going self-confidence is admittedly fun at times, even if the movie is as impenetrable as chop suey.

Go to Full Review

Richard Freedman

Newark Star-Ledger

Jan 7

No real Chinatown was ever as dull as this fanciful one.

Go to Full Review

David Elliott

Copley News Service

Dec 13

The movie is an assault and battery job, and exhausting to watch.

Go to Full Review

Chance Solem-Pfeifer

Willamette Week

Dec 12

Directed by John Carpenter during one of the great filmmaking hot streaks of all time, Big Trouble is a rarely seen kind of action comedy—neither spoof nor satire and containing not a single moment of genuine sentiment.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Jean B

@RT99361883 Mar 31

Great movie. I've been a fan since the 1980s of this movie. Fun, action packed, just a feel good, fun time flick. These movie critics who review films are such a farce. They seem to think what constitutes a good movie yet seem to lack any clue as to what makes a good movie that audiences enjoy while they trash the film. The world is full of jokers.

See more

M V.

@wongkarwhy Mar 22

This film is awesome. One of the few times I got to see Asians on TV (and no I didn't grow up with cable). James Hong is such a great actor. Definitely recommend this to anyone that just wants to watch a fun 80s film.

See more

David D

@David2026 Mar 19

A big stupid romp. Fun. Hammy. More like watching the movie version of a late 1980's arcade game.

See more

Eddie Z

@RT04687948 Mar 18

Crazy fun! I watch it every year.

See more

Garrett B

@gmoney637 Mar 15

An action-packed 80’s B-movie classic.

See more

Robert S.

@IZaBaD1 Feb 15

It's one of my all-time favorites

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

John Carpenter

Director

Kurt Russell

Jack Burton

Kim Cattrall

Gracie Law

Dennis Dun

Wang Chi

James Hong

David Lo Pan

Victor Wong

Egg Shen

Kull the Conqueror

21%

25%

Kull the Conqueror

Watchlist

Cocoon

82%

60%

Cocoon

Watchlist

Dungeons & Dragons

9%

20%

Dungeons & Dragons

Watchlist

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

17%

44%

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Watchlist

Spider-Man

90%

67%

Spider-Man

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Spider-Man

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

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 crime lord has kidnapped a beautiful green-eyed woman, who is the fiancée 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.

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): May 30, 1986, Wide
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)

Most Popular at Home Now