Review of Big Trouble in Little China (1986) by Stuart K — 02 Sep 2011
John Carpenter and Kurt Russell reunite again after Escape from New York (1981) and The Thing (1982), for this action packed comedy-adventure, where the result is one of the best collaberations between Carpenter and Russell, they should get back together now.
The film is set in Chinatown, San Francisco, where truck driver Jack Burton (Russell), gets caught up with local street gangs and an army of spirits, led by 2,000 year old Chinese sorcerer Lo Pan (James Hong), after Jack's friend Wang Chi's (Dennis Dun) fiance Miao Yin (Suzee Pai) is kidnapped by Lo Pan's gang, The Lords of Death.
Jack and Wang also get involved with lawyer Gracie Law (Kim Cattrall) and magician Egg Shen (Victor Wong), who knows too well about the power Lo Pan holds, it turns out Lo Pan is 2,000 years old, and can only roam the earth as a ghost until he marries a certain girl, Miao Yin has those qualities, and, as it turns out, so does Gracie.
So, she gets captured, and it's Jack Burton to the rescue, and he wants his truck back as well, which was stolen by Lo Pan's gang. This is a great piece of entertainment, with great action, good humour and some amazing special effects for it's day, but far removed from Carpenter's previous horror films that he'd recently done.
It's like an old B-Movie serial brought kicking and screaming into the 1980's!! :D.
This review of Big Trouble in Little China (1986) was written by Stuart K on 02 Sep 2011.
Big Trouble in Little China has generally received positive reviews.
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