Movie Review: Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
I can’t believe I went so long without watching this gem. The whole vibe took me right back to my martial arts obsessed childhood in the 90s.
The movie and plot itself was surprisingly deep. What got me most was how many layers there are genre-wise. It’s a comedy disguised as an action adventure movie, disguised as science fiction, disguised as horror. There’s even a rom com going on in there somewhere.
As Carpenter is prone to do, the chaos starts out of nowhere. Jack is giving a guy a ride to the airport, and a few minutes later a gang is kidnapping the guy’s girlfriend and they’re in the middle of a massive conflict.
Kurt Russell is perfect as the fearless, super cool hero (at least in his own mind). He’s a lucky moron who somehow keeps succeeding at saving the day. Fav part: when he accidentally fires his gun in the air and the rocks knock him out right before the big fight, I lost it.
Carpenter also has zero shame with the cheesiness of the names. The lawyer is named Gracie Law. An old Asian man named Egg Shen (3 Ninjas shoutout!).
The creatures blindsided me a little. That’s very Carpenter, though, and I get it. It’s just not my bag.
Overall, this isn’t usually my kind of movie. I lean more toward horror, thrillers, and mysteries. But it’s Carpenter, and for what it is, it’s pretty good.