Big Trouble in Little China

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Big Trouble in Little China

PG-13

Released May 30, 1986

1h 39m

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

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Popcornmeter

73%

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66 Reviews

82%

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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 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.

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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.

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

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

Rated: 2/4

Jun 29, 2021

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Eleanor Ringel Cater

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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.

Jun 29, 2021

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Kathleen Carroll

New York Daily News

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.

Rated: 2/4

Jun 29, 2021

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John Ferguson

Radio Times

Horror maestro John Carpenter is clearly in awe of Hong Kong movies, but this brave attempt to fuse martial arts action with a westernised adventure story sadly doesn't quite gel.

Rated: 2/5

Sep 13, 2024

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

On many occasions I have the feeling that its recycling of genres with a B-series formula is hackneyed and terribly boring when Kurt Russell fights in a simple way in the bizarre alleys of Chinatown. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 4/10

Dec 21, 2022

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

...it is certainly great fun—as deliberately absurd a contraption...

Aug 19, 2022

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Leo P

Have been watching this movie since my childhood, it is what I have based my entire personality off of

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/25/25

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Jacob B

A fun homage to martial arts films and '80s fantasy films, Big Trouble in Little China is a hilarious and exciting action comedy with quotable dialogue, memorable characters and clever writing that has you rooting for the main protagonist whilst acknowledging that he's a bit of a jerk. Sure, he has a heart of gold but his main reason to get involved in the main conflict has mainly to do with him just wanting his truck back. Quite possibly John Carpenter's most lighthearted film, and arguably one of his best and most underrated one.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/10/25

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Chris J

If this was meant to be a parody of karate movies it succeeded. I don't think it was meant to be. Really bad acting and the special effects are a joke.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/08/25

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David R

Funny because of its silliness, engaging because of the action. I finally saw this on Amazon prime after years of hearing about it from my friend Ryan. This is the type of movie you watch with friends and a few beers for the chuckles

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/14/25

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Patrick E

Fun as F#ck! Pure Carpenter 80's weird action!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/09/25

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Chad Y

I like movies that start small and unassuming- maybe even deceptively so ( a la 'Cabin in the Woods'.) So very rarely does a film do this naturally without it being gimmicky or feeling like it was all planned out that way from the beginning. This may be one of perhaps three or four other movies in history that has made me feel as if I were there in the world of the story- experiencing everything as the characters do. It is one of the few films that do not get a little more boring each time you see it. It is one of the few films that make me think about the deeper nature of reality without making me inherently uncomfortable when doing so. And it is one of the only films that makes me crack the f#&k up Every. Single. Time. This Movie is Perfect. It is weird but intriguingly so. It hides behind the flash of an action flick but reveals itself in stages to be something FAR more sinister and strange and bizarre. Kurt Russells deadpan impersonation of a young John Wayne was the PERFECT choice for his character as one cannot help but imagine that titular hero himself descending into the madness of this films plotline. I have to go...but watch this movie now. Now. Don't miss out on the joy of Big Trouble in Little China.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/09/25

Full Review

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John Carpenter

Director

Kurt Russell

Jack Burton

Kim Cattrall

Gracie Law

Dennis Dun

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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 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.

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)

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