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Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

7.2
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Ratings: 7.2/10 from 60,386 users  
Reviews: 289 user | 98 critic

An All-American trucker gets dragged into a centuries-old mystical battle in Chinatown.

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Title: Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Dennis Dun ...
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Carter Wong ...
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Suzee Pai ...
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Jeff Imada ...
Rummel Mor ...
Craig Ng ...
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Storyline

When trucker Jack Burton agreed to take his friend Wang Chi to pick up his fiancee at the airport, he never expected to get involved in a supernatural battle between good and evil. Wang's fiancee has emerald green eyes, which make her a perfect target for an immortal sorcerer named Lo Pan and his three invincible cronies. Lo Pan must marry a girl with green eyes so he can regain his physical form. Now, Jack must save Wang's fiancee from Lo Pan and his henchmen, and win back his stolen truck. But how can he defeat an enemy who has no body? Written by Mr. X

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

It's all in the reflexes! See more »


Certificate:

PG-13 | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Country:

Language:

|

Release Date:

2 July 1986 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China  »

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$11,100,000 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(70 mm prints)| (35 mm prints)

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The Chinese characters in the main title translate to "Evil Spirits Make a Big Scene in Little Spiritual State". See more »

Goofs

When Jack Burton rolls backwards in the wheel chair that stops and is teetering on the edge of falling into a well, you can clearly see the wires holding the chair in place to keep it from falling. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Pinstripe lawyer: What I'd like to do today is get your version of what happened.
Egg Shen: Oh, you mean the truth.
Pinstripe lawyer: Of course. First, just state your name and your occupation for the record.
Egg Shen: Oh, Egg Shen. Bus driver.
See more »


Soundtracks

"Big Trouble in Little China"
Written by John Carpenter
Performed by The Coupe de Villes
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Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
John Caprenter's opus magnum
11 January 2000 | by (The U.S. of A) – See all my reviews

John Carpenter really steps away from his usual fare in this easy going `fortune-cookie theater' parody that was originally the manuscript for the second Buckaroo Banzai movie. It features a cast of pithy characters, bizarre and memorable dialogue, entertaining special effects and fight scenes that are well choreographed by western standards.

For those of you who already love John Carpenter, prepare for one of his finest moments. In 1987 Carpenter's sentimental sci-fi-side made `Starman' an instant classic and in 1984 his tense, brooding gothism made `Prince of Darkness' truly frightening. Sandwiched in-between these movie greats is the 1986 production of `Big Trouble on Little China', where eastern martial arts mysticism meets John Wayne bravado with zany and often absurdly hilarious results. How can you not love a movie unwilling to take itself too seriously while at the same time still managing to keep a straight face?

Carpenter's skills as a director, producer and songwriter come together in this film to produce what many consider to be his finest work. Big Trouble' s theme and content naturally compliments Carpenter's style of cynical humor, flashy cinematic expression and loose, caricature-esque development of memorable story line figures. If this isn't his opus magnum then it is at least one of his greatest moments as a director.


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