Big Trouble in Little China

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Big Trouble in Little China

PG-13

1986

1h 39m

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

65%

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155 Reviews

82%

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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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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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Alexander Walker

London Evening Standard

8h

The plots adds up to only a non-stop obstacle race.

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Adam Mars-Jones

Independent (UK)

9h

The film is hectic but wooden, violent but bloodless.

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Jeff Strickler

Minneapolis Star Tribune

9h

3/10

While there are some gems of humor in the film, they are buried in an avalanche of overkill.

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Robert Denerstein

Denver Rocky Mountain News

8h

Director John Carpenter's summer adventure is a three-ring circus badly in need of a main attraction.

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Michael D. Reid

Victoria Times Colonist (B.C., Canada)

8h

1/5

Lots of fancy footwork and some dazzling special effects, but otherwise this send-up of kung fu movies is a noisy, excessive bore.

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Morley Walker

Winnipeg Sun

8h

For a movie that combines several over-used genres, Big Trouble in Little China comes close to being an original.

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Ola G

@Ollie1972 May 14

After two successful collaborations between Kurt Russel and John Carpenter, with "Escape from New York" and "The Thing" (Two of my favourite movies), I had high hopes back in 1986 with this film. I can't fully remember what I thought of it then, but I guess as a teen I was happy with whatever Carpenter put out. Re-seeing it today, makes me wish for a lot more. "Big Trouble in Little China" is a silly b-fantasy action-comedy with a sloppy Russel as a stupid and cocky truck driver that carries no likeable or cool characteristics in my book. The premise is silly, the action is truly silly with flying fights, the whole environment is low budget in a very obvious way and it's just too comic silly. My biggest treat was to see Kim Cattrall at her most drop dead gorgeous period in her career. And the great poster art by Drew Struzan (RIP). "Big Trouble in Little China" belongs to Carpenter´s less good movies if you ask me.

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Shawn R

@satiable May 14

This movie is so much fun! Could watch it over and over again

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Julian C

@juliancooper_12 May 10

Funny, random, and weird, John Carpenter does a good job reviving kung fu cinema.

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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.

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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.

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David D

@David2026 Mar 19

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

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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)