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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Aye E

The charm of Kurt Russell was used well in this movie, it was a fun and unique action adventure. Loved the chemistry between Kurt and Kim Cattrall. All of the other actors were fantastic. Will always remember Lo Pan and the elemental fighters. This movie is a bit like a comic book come to life, with a great sense of humor. Such a fun, always rewatchable, classic.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/11/25

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thiago s

Filme bacaninha, o roteiro é mais ou menos, as cenas são bacaninhas, a história é mais ou menos, o elenco é mais ou menos, e alguns ajudam a melhorar o filme, os personagens são mais ou menos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, o filme ainda teve algumas cenas sem sentido como o cara chinês soltar um raio pelas mãos, mas também esse cara fez o mortal kombat criar o personagem Raiden.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

06/08/25

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Kyle C

It’s not particularly fun, funny, or engaging – it’s mostly bland and forgettable. It has a couple good gags, but it hardly maintains its runtime. Some of the practical effects come off as more gimmicky and dated than creative. And most of the kung fu isn’t anything special. One-note characters, cliché dialogue, and nonsensical plot threads make this B-movie very skippable.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

06/04/25

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Nick O

Man, this flick has it all! High action Kung fu, evil sorcerers, and big scary monsters! Not to mention a great sense of humor. Thank you John Carpenter for always giving us what we need!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/02/25

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Richard S

First off, I says I don’t drive faster than I can see. ‘Side that it’s all in the reflexes. Big Trouble In Little China is the best movie ever made. I’m not just saying that because Kurt Russell is my father. Watched this joint religiously back when I wanted to be a ninja when I grew up. Still come back to this one nearly 30 years later. Fun plot. Charming characters. Raw mysticism. Practical effects and freaking amazing monster design.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/17/25

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Audience Member

This movie moves fast. Even dialogue is spit out fast like a 1940's movie. It wastes no time and just gets crazier and crazier as it goes along. The performance are hammy and absolutely perfect. Their is humor in the movie but it's played straight. The martial art fight scenes second to none. I love this movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/30/25

Full Review

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John Carpenter

Director

Kurt Russell

Jack Burton

Kim Cattrall

Gracie Law

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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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