Greg Russell
Greg’s Movie Night : Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Dir: John Carpenter (also known for Halloween and Starman)
Big Trouble in Little China is a big deal to me in my film catalog. John Carpenter has so many films that made my youth filled with celluloid love. Of course Halloween, but his remake of the Thing was amazing. I remember being astounded when Big Trouble came out as it was only PG-13. This was from the director of HALLOWEEN and The Fog. What is he doing making PG affairs (of course the love story, Starman, was PG but I didn’t see that at the time – who even knew it was Carpenter film?)
Jack Burton is a John Wayne bad-ass who after drinking beers, literally, all night drives to pick up his friend’s girlfriend at the airport. After Chinese gangs steal the new wife, it really hits weird. Full kung-fu gunfight, fist fight and lightning fights. YES LIGHTNING FIGHTS. This leads Jack Burton (“Jack… Jack Burton… ME”) to head into the underground of the occult operation of Lo Pan, the ancient cursed, skinless, old man with magic powers who needs to marry a green eyed girl (and is just now finding one?!). His underground chambers are filled with creatures, warriors, arenas, water and non-stop ridiculous action.
Is Kurt Russell a good actor? I don’t even know. I know he does a John Wayne space-cadet in this movie better than anyone! And that’s a good thing. Spending most of his time talking big and being knocked out or missing his target the humor is not subtle but the tough guy joke I think is. My kids left the experience thinking Jack Burton was like Superman. No. No, he almost never got anything done correctly.
I couldn’t help but feeling a Goonies (1985) vibe through this whole film. My kids looked at me crossed-eyed when I made this suggestion but they do that a lot, especially when I ask “Why did you do that?” Regardless, I think the endless adventure, coupled with some scares (you’ll see corroded corpses in the water) it felt pretty exact. I suppose Indiana Jones would be a better comparison, but while I was watching I thought Goonies. Integrity. I’m sticking with my first go to.
Big Trouble in Little China was a box office flop. However, I’ll venture to say that those of you still reading this have heard of it. Not as a fly by night movie but one where people say it in happy contexts. It’s release was riddled with politics of studios but didn’t stifle Carpenter. He overcame with independently financing his next two movies (They Live (1987) and Prince of Darkness (1988)). However, in looking back at the film with a fresh 30 year perspective, I don’t get the problem. He was comedically drawing from the kung-fu/westerns he’d grown up with and hamming it up. I think a young upstart name Tarantino did similar things.
The kids were on the edge of their seat. Cheering for the hero of Jack Burton and loving the round house kicks and gold-pistols. Everything (EVERYTHING) is over the top. The kids decided pretty early that they did NOT like Lo Pan. He gave them the creeps. Long nails, spindly hair, a scene in a wheelchair with no skin? Is that what that was? I decided I didn’t like the neon decorations in the wedding room. Big Trouble in Miami Vice? The wedding scene decorations were ridiculous. However, and I’ll stand by this, the jumping and flying through the air sword fight in the wedding scene was NOT ridiculous. Or the lightning lasers. Or the man who blew himself up with grief. NOT ridiculous. Necessary.
The next morning the kids got up and promptly asked if they could watch Big Trouble in Little China again. I thought there was no trouble but that I, obviously, was raising them right. After all, while I was doing whatever on that Sunday, Jack Burton would love over them.
Mom says : “Where was Goldie Hawn during this mess?”
Suggested Age : 8+ (some drinking, corpses and one suggestive joke)
Adult Grade : B+ (YES B+)
Kid’s Grade : We loved it!