Review of Big Trouble in Little China (1986) by Hank H — 06 Oct 2011

I have never been so genuinely confused by a movie, and yet loved it from start to finish. A lot of the film's silly plot probably stems from its even more convoluted origins, screenwriters David Weinstein and Gary Goldman originally wrote the script envisioning it as a western with Chinese mythology and sensibilities set in 1880s San Francisco. This dynamic carried over slightly into the finished product, but the studio wasn't biting on the idea and when after buying it Goldman and Weinstein refused to completely rewrite the script they were booted completely from the project though still credited. W.D Richter was brought in to re work the script and over hauled it into the final product, unfortunately not receiving credit himself for what ultimately became his work. Legendary John Carpenter, who had long had interest in directing a Kung Fu movie became attached and the project began to gain traction studios hoping it could compete with an Eddie Murphy Kung Fu comedy that summer the Golden Child, rising star and Carpenter favorite Kurt Russell was cast as Jack Barton. The film has become a cult classic and yet Carpenter was very unsatisfied with the end results, feeling disillusioned with the studio system he returned to indie films for most of the rest of his career. Yet was the film really that bad or was Carpenter being a drama queen as artists are want to be. Let's take a look that others can not look.

The movie's focus if not hero, is cock sure, machismo truck driver Jack Burton (Kurt Russell, who is a loveable swaggering oaf) from a time when there was still something cool and cowboy like about being a truck driver and roaming from town to town. Jack's friends with a young Chinese-American restaurant owner named Wang Chi (Dennis Dun, a serviceable actor and action star) who after cleaning him out in poker while visiting him in San Francisco's Chinatown he ends up going to the airport with to pick up his fiancee from China, the strangely green eyed and beautiful Miao Yin. Unfortunately she's kidnapped by Chinatown gangsters to be sold into slavery from their whorehouse and as Jack and Wang try to formulate a plan they find themselves in the midst of a supernatural gang war. Jack loses his truck in the deal and to get it back he must venture with Wang and loudmouth activist lawyer Gracie Law (Kim Cattrall who's both adorable and funny) into the supernatural underground of Little China and face the undead sorcerer Lo Pan (the always amusing James Hong) a task about as easy and normal as that sounds.

The story kind of makes sense, it's rooted in Chinese legend and Lo Pan was apparently cursed by one of the emperors and now must perform a ceremony with a green eyed girl to become flesh and blood again. The things that don't make sense like how he hasn't already found such a girl Jack himself addresses and mocks so it's all good. Still apart from some dated (though not TOO terribly) effects the movies biggest flaw is the many moments it leaves you scratching your head. The imagery is imaginative, the fight scenes well rendered and though cheesy the dialogue is amusing and fits well with the over all tone but that doesn't make up for it. It's just little things that despite the movie's silliness demand explanation, from what the fuck is that chewbacca lookalike that kidnapped Gracie, too what the fuck did they just drink that's made them stoned and invincible all of a sudden and even who the hell are those guys that can shoot lightning out of their hands this is ridiculous, even if it does kicks ass. Still for basically a tongue in cheek comedy, it has taught action and some genuinely disturbing moments mostly from Lo Pan. I love how Wang the secondary character is the hero defeating the most foes, while Jack is the bumbling sidekick he just doesn't know it. I love how rather than racist Oriental Music it opts for a very 80s synth heavy soundtrack, to match the clothes and the neon in Lo Pan's layer. I love every shot from Carpenter which is taken with much more credit than he's given credit for and despite how many times it's been done before I even love Jack and Gracie's banter. This movie just has so much fun with itself, you can't help but have fun right along with it no matter how stupid it is.

I adore this movie, it's silly and stupid and corny and overrated but I've watched it several times and only gotten enjoyment each time. Richter takes more care in composing the story and the script than he seems to at a first glance and as a result a unique and genuine movie is born. Kurt Russell puts such manly John Wayne like swagger into Jack you can't help but love him and even if Kim Cattrall gets irritating ironic or not, staring into her big beautiful eyes...its like staring into puppies eyes who could stay mad? This is not Carpenter's best work, but it ranks up there I'd say so if he considers this disappointing I'd love to see what he envisioned. This is a rare cult classic, it lives up to everything that is promised. Even if what is promised isn't terribly much to ask.