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IMDbPro

Big Trouble in Little China

  • 19861986
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
140K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,048
200
Kim Cattrall, Kurt Russell, and James Hong in Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Home Video Trailer from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Play trailer2:47
3 Videos
99+ Photos
ActionAdventureComedy
A rough-and-tumble trucker and his side kick face off with an ancient sorcerer in a supernatural battle beneath Chinatown.A rough-and-tumble trucker and his side kick face off with an ancient sorcerer in a supernatural battle beneath Chinatown.A rough-and-tumble trucker and his side kick face off with an ancient sorcerer in a supernatural battle beneath Chinatown.
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
140K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,048
200
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • John Carpenter
    • Writers
      • Gary Goldman
      • David Z. Weinstein
      • W.D. Richter(adaptation)
    • Stars
      • Kurt Russell
      • Kim Cattrall
      • Dennis Dun
    Top credits
    • Director
      • John Carpenter
    • Writers
      • Gary Goldman
      • David Z. Weinstein
      • W.D. Richter(adaptation)
    • Stars
      • Kurt Russell
      • Kim Cattrall
      • Dennis Dun
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 450User reviews
    • 233Critic reviews
    • 53Metascore
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination

    Videos3

    Big Trouble In Little China
    Trailer 2:47
    Big Trouble In Little China
    Ghost Hunters: Season 2
    Trailer 1:01
    Ghost Hunters: Season 2
    Through the Lens: Defining Carpenteresque and Why It Belongs in the Dictionary
    Clip 4:54
    Through the Lens: Defining Carpenteresque and Why It Belongs in the Dictionary

    Photos164

    Peter Kwong, James Pax, and Carter Wong in Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
    Kurt Russell in Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
    Kim Cattrall, Kurt Russell, Dennis Dun, and Suzee Pai in Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
    L-R Sitting, Kurt Russell, three extras, Standing, Paul J.Q. Lee, Sitting,
    Kim Cattrall, Kurt Russell, Dennis Dun, Peter Kwong, Suzee Pai, James Pax, and Carter Wong in Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
    Kim Cattrall, Kurt Russell, James Hong, and Suzee Pai in Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
    Kim Cattrall, Kurt Russell, James Hong, and Suzee Pai in Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
    Kurt Russell, James Hong, Peter Kwong, Suzee Pai, James Pax, Carter Wong, and Victor Wong in Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
    Kim Cattrall, Kurt Russell, James Hong, and Suzee Pai in Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
    Kim Cattrall and Kurt Russell in Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
    Kim Cattrall and Kurt Russell in Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
    Kim Cattrall and Kurt Russell in Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Kurt Russell
    Kurt Russell
    • Jack Burton
    Kim Cattrall
    Kim Cattrall
    • Gracie Law
    Dennis Dun
    Dennis Dun
    • Wang Chi
    James Hong
    James Hong
    • David Lo Pan
    Victor Wong
    Victor Wong
    • Egg Shen
    Kate Burton
    Kate Burton
    • Margo
    Donald Li
    Donald Li
    • Eddie Lee
    Carter Wong
    Carter Wong
    • Thunder
    Peter Kwong
    Peter Kwong
    • Rain
    James Pax
    James Pax
    • Lightning
    Suzee Pai
    Suzee Pai
    • Miao Yin
    Chao Li Chi
    Chao Li Chi
    • Uncle Chu
    Jeff Imada
    Jeff Imada
    • Needles
    Rummel Mor
    Rummel Mor
    • Joe Lucky
    Craig Ng
    Craig Ng
    • One Ear
    June Kyoto Lu
    June Kyoto Lu
    • White Tiger
    • (as June Kim)
    Noel Toy
    • Mrs. O'Toole
    Jade Go
    • Chinese Girl in White Tiger
    • Director
      • John Carpenter
    • Writers
      • Gary Goldman
      • David Z. Weinstein
      • W.D. Richter(adaptation)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Kurt Russell confessed on the DVD commentary that he was afraid of starring in the movie because he had made a string of movies that flopped at the box office. When he asked John Carpenter about it, he told Kurt that it didn't matter to him - he just wanted to make the movie with him.
    • Goofs
      In the first fight scene in the alleyway that Jack and Wang witness, the same stuntman can be seen charging, fighting, and indeed being KO'd alternately dressed as a Chang Sing, or Wing Kong.
    • Quotes

      Jack Burton: When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Jack?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail."

    • Alternate versions
      There is an alternate version with an extended ending scene (seen on its Special Edition DVD/Blu-ray), where, after the story is finished, Kurt Russel, in his truck again, finds the 3 punks from the beginning sitting in their sports car by the docks. He then decidedly drives forward, smashing into their car and throwing it, with them inside, into the sea. It was removed from the official theatrical version, being donned as "Too vengeful." after test screenings.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Psycho III/About Last Night.../Ruthless People/Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
    • Soundtracks
      Big Trouble in Little China
      Written by John Carpenter

      Performed by The Coupe de Villes

    User reviews450

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    Do you believe in magic?
    Despite his recent slide into mediocrity, John Carpenter is responsible for what could be termed some of the biggest cult movies of the 1980's. Following his resounding success with Halloween he went on to direct a number of quirky yet excellent movies that began to tail of toward the end of the 80's with the release of such dross as Prince of Darkness. Carpenters movies are probably some of the most under appreciated pictures of recent cinema history on a commercial level, and none more so than perhaps one of his finest, the delightfully absurd action movie Big Trouble in Little China.

    The plot is as daft as they come. Loud mouthed truck driver Jack Burton (played by Carpenter's long time collaborator Kurt Russell) arrives in San Francisco's Chinatown where he agrees to help out old friend Wang (played by Denis Dun) by driving him to the airport to pick up his green eyed fiancé. Things quickly go south however when a band of street punks kidnap the girl and the motley duo set off in pursuit. The pair soon find themselves caught in the middle of gang war that takes on a decidedly mythical bent and are forced to flee while Jack's truck is stolen. All this occurs within the first fifteen to twenty minutes.

    If there's one thing you can say about Big Trouble, it's that it's action packed. The plot (such as it is) moves at an incredible pace and the film rarely slows to take breath as it rolls from one action set piece to the next. In such movies, normally the dialogue, and subsequently the acting suffer from a lack of any real attention. Not so here. Carpenter balances everything so perfectly that it's a wonder his career took such a slide. Although the actual story may be incredibly absurd and at times suffers from some rather obvious gaps of logic, the dialogue never fails to sparkle. Russell gives his very best wise ass shtick as Burton, the confused have a go hero who's so out of his depth he should really be fish bait, while Dun excels with a character who is consistently more heroic and capable than the lead. Another wonderful turn comes from an appearance by a young Kim Cattrall (of Sex and the City fame) as Gracie Law, a downmarket lawyer with an ability to talk at incredible speed. Some of the scenes between these three are pure comic genius, as Dun and Cattrall rattle out plot information at a rapid staccato pace while an increasingly bewildered Russell tries desperately to keep up.

    Despite such positive remarks, Big Trouble was perhaps one of Carpenter's biggest commercial flops. While many of the movie's fans find this difficult to understand I do not. The reason for its failure is really incredibly simple. In terms of its style and the underlying comedy behind the piece, Carpenter's loving part tribute, part send up of all things Kung Fu was way ahead of the curve in every important respect. Take the relationship between our 'hero' Jack and his 'sidekick' Wang. The true dynamic of this relationship is a wonderfully post modern slant on the cliché buddy dynamic that existed in the 80's and it was done long before post modernist humour became truly fashionable in films (the most obvious example of post modern piece of cinema being Scream). Despite receiving star billing, Russell's Jack is actually a sidekick to Wang. While Wang has the knowledge, the skill and the courage to make him a true classic hero figure, Jack lags behind, being brash, ignorant and of little actual use in a fight. Similarly the action, although remarkably quaint by today's standards in both its look and execution, is a surprisingly accurate foreshadow of the current Hollywood move toward the more graceful, balletic chaos exhibited by movies like The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

    Ultimately Big Trouble in Little China is a movie that survived thanks to the home video market and for that we can only be grateful. While its looks may have aged, its sense of humour and style is as fresh today as the day it first rolled out in cinemas. In short, it's pure escapist magic.
    helpful•234
    43
    • mastac-1
    • Aug 31, 2004

    FAQ4

    • Who is Jack talking to on his CB radio at the beginning and end of the film?
    • What happened to Jack Burton at the movie's ending?
    • Why does Thunder explode?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 2, 1986 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Site
    • Languages
      • English
      • Cantonese
    • Also known as
      • John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China
    • Filming locations
      • San Francisco, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Twentieth Century Fox
      • TAFT Entertainment Pictures
      • SLM Production Group
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $25,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $11,100,000
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $2,723,211
      • Jul 6, 1986
    • Gross worldwide
      • $11,100,577
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 39 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

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