Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

A rough-and-tumble trucker helps rescue his friend's fiancée from an ancient sorcerer in a supernatural battle beneath Chinatown.

Director:

John Carpenter

Writers:

Gary Goldman, David Z. Weinstein

Stars:

Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kurt Russell	...	Jack Burton
Kim Cattrall	...	Gracie Law
Dennis Dun	...	Wang Chi
James Hong	...	David Lo Pan
Victor Wong	...	Egg Shen
Kate Burton	...	Margo
Donald Li	...	Eddie Lee
Carter Wong	...	Thunder
Peter Kwong	...	Rain
James Pax	...	Lightning
Suzee Pai	...	Miao Yin
Chao Li Chi	...	Uncle Chu
Jeff Imada	...	Needles
Rummel Mor	...	Joe Lucky
Craig Ng	...	One Ear

Storyline

Truck driver Jack Burton arrives in Chinatown, San Francisco, and goes to the airport with his Chinese friend Wang Chi to welcome his green-eyed fiancée Miao Yin who is arriving from China. However she is kidnapped on the arrival by a Chinese street gang and Jack and Wang chase the group. Soon they learn that the powerful evil sorcerer called David Lo Pan, who has been cursed more than two thousand years ago to exist without physical body, needs to marry a woman with green eyes to retrieve his physical body and Miao is the chosen one. Jack and Wang team-up with the lawyer Gracie Law, the bus driver and sorcerer apprentice Egg Shen and their friends and embark in a great adventure in the underground of Chinatown, where they face a world of magicians and magic, monsters and martial arts fighters.

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Plot Keywords:

truck driver | green eyes | chinatown | 1980s | chinese | 

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Taglines:

They told Jack Burton to go to hell...and that's exactly where he's going! (From Trailer)

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy

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Certificate:

PG-13

Did You Know?

Trivia

The vehicle Egg Shen drove in the movie was a 1936 White touring car. That car is now in Yellowstone National Park (the location, for which it was originally built), named "Hollywood", and gives tours out of Old Faithful.

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Goofs

When Jack shoots the lock off of the first line of cages his gun fires twice before the first sound of a gunshot is heard, then at least three more times, again with only one gunshot heard.

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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.

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Alternate Versions

There is an alternate version with an added ending scene (found in the directors cut DVD), where after the story is finished, Kurt Russel, in his truck again, finds the 3 punks from the beginning of the movie 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. This ending was removed from the theatrical version, being donned as "Too vengeful" after test screens.

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Connections

Referenced in Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

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Soundtracks

Big Trouble in Little China
Written by John Carpenter
Performed by The Coupe de Villes

User Reviews

This movie moves me

Give this movie a ten, it has more excitement and pure fun than almost any other, John Carpenter has constructed a masterpiece. This movie is awesome, It's got Kurt Russell at his best. Every line that he says just rocks. This picture is the most unique film that had come around in years when it was released. Nothing comes close to its ingenuity or classic mixture of Chinese mythology. If you don't watch it I will personally search out and destroy you. Like some dude up there said, just chill with your popcorn snacks and drinks, and saddle up, because it's going to be one hell of a ride!

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Cantonese

Release Date:

2 July 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,723,211, 6 July 1986

Gross USA:

$11,100,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$11,100,577

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, TAFT Entertainment Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby Stereo (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1