The original: 

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)​

 

Directed by: 

John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing, Escape From New York, Prince of Darkness)

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Starring: 

Kurt Russell, Dennis Dun, Kim Catrall, James Hong, Victor Wong, Donald Li, Suzee Pai, Peter Kwong, James Pax, Carter Wong, Kate Burton

 

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Truck driver, adventurer and braggart Jack Burton (Russell) gets more than he bargained for after a friendly card game in San Francisco’s China Town, quickly becoming embroiled in a battle between the forces of good and evil, having to deal with malevolent spirits, cursed emperors, kidnapped women and high sorcery.

 

Falling in with journalist Gracie Law (Catrall), a buddy with hidden talents Wang (Dun), local tourist guide and shaman Egg (Wong) among others, Jack must use his God given gifts of lightning reflexes, ample confidence and a big mouth, battling monsters, supernatural deities, triad clans, magical kung-fu masters and floating eye-ball creatures with bad attitudes.

 

Big Trouble in Little China is a hard film to categorise. Part kung-fu action adventure, part fantasy, all blended into a screw ball comedy soup, it reunites the winning team of Carpenter and Russell, utilising both their skills at telling a story that remains thrilling, inventive and bonkers.

 

At times uneven, at others slightly jarring, the film’s hidden weapon is Russell and his ultimate alter-ego, Burton- the impossibly charismatic, idiot-hero extraordinaire. Every scene contains a solid quip, brilliant sight gag and unexpected plot twist, as the movie barrels along faster than a stolen truck with no brakes.

 

A master class in oddity, thrills, spills, romance, cunning and grace, Big Trouble is, simply put, magic.

 

 

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Jack- “When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favourite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Jack?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail.”

 

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Jack- “Okay. You people sit tight, hold the fort and keep the home fires burning. And if we're not back by dawn… (winks) ….call the president.”

 

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Wang- “A brave man likes the feel of nature on his face, Jack.”

Egg- “Yeah, and a wise man has enough sense to get in out of the rain!”

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Jack- “Just remember what ol' Jack Burton does when the earth quakes, and the poison arrows fall from the sky, and the pillars of Heaven shake. Yeah, Jack Burton just looks that big ol' storm right square in the eye and he says, "Give me your best shot, pal. I can take it.”

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