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Big Trouble In Little China on DVD (1986)

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Average rating: 71%
1113415201959
3.5
from 3,578 members
 
Starring: Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun
Director: John Carpenter
Studio: 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time: 96 mins
Certificate: 15
User collections: My top Tens from the Eighties, Fave Films, THE GREATEST ACTION MOVIES EVER MADE !!!!!!, All time great films you saw as a kid in the 80s, Sharapova's Bottom, A FALL FROM GRACE, THE JOHN CARPENTER COLLECTION!, The Good...The Bad....& the Awful, Fern's funnies, For the uneducated who no longer care about the rest of the world, SciFiActionThrillerFunnyGoryFantasyMoviesandTV
Genres: Action/Adventure, Thriller
Languages: English
Hearing-impaired: English
Subtitles: Czech, Danish, English, Finnish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish
Released: 06/05/2002
Also Available on:  Also Available on: DIGITAL

Brief synopsis of Big Trouble In Little China

A cult favorite (and one of director John Carpenter's personal favourites), BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA is a fantasy-action film that is brilliantly imaginative, funny, and absorbing. Kurt Russell plays hard-boiled truck driver Jack Burton, who gets caught in a bizarre conflict within, and underneath, San Francisco's Chinatown. An ancient Chinese prince and Chinatown crimelord has kidnapped a beautiful green-eyed woman, who is the fiancee to Jack's best friend. Jack must help his friend rescue the girl before the evil Lo Pan uses her to break the ancient curse that keeps him a fleshless and immortal spirit. Carpenter uses all the best elements of martial arts films, 1940s old action serials, Chinese mythology and straight-forward American adventure to make up a tale wild with imagination. Russell is wonderful as the brash, brave, and reluctant hero Jack Burton, who is hysterically out of place in this world of magic potions, goblins and curses. A visually stunning work that ranks as one of Carpenter's best films.

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Critics Reviews

Rating of 2 stars out of 5 Radio Times

Horror maestro John Carpenter (Halloween) is clearly in awe of Hong Kong movies, but this brave attempt to fuse martial arts action with a westernised adventure story sadly doesn't quite jell. Kurt Russell makes an amiably inept hero as the dense lorry driver who gets mixed up with ancient Chinese cults and magic when he ventures beneath the streets of San Francisco. But the fight scenes are surprisingly stodgy, and, in the end, the special effects take over.

Halliwell's Film Guide

Misfiring attempt to equal the nonsense of the Indiana Jones sagas; occasional effective action moments don't stop the whole from being tiresome.

Time Out

'Ready, Jack?' asks Kurt Russell's Chinese buddy before another fraught round of mayhem beneath the streets of San... Read more on www.timeout.com

See all 5 Critics Reviews »

Members Reviews

Reviews Voted Most Helpful

Rated - 5 starsIts got everything!

Rob from Cheltenham, England , 30/04/2004

One of the best films i have ever seen. It has action, romance, comedy, magic and buddy movie feel. Plus some fantastic martial arts. I first saw this when i was ten years old and still love it to this day. Truly one of John Carpenters greatest works. Kurt Russell does a fine job of making you laugh while his friend 'Wang' does the hero thing. The 'Storms' still look good even compared to todays special effects! Well worth watching. The bonus disc also has a wealth of material that makes viewing it a must. As Jack Burton says 'Its all on the reflexes'

  4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 3 stars80s Action Spoof

McClennan from St Helens , 05/01/2006

Funny 80s action spoof with a star turn from Kurt Russell as a John Wayne-esque trucker hero who doesn't actually do anything. Could have hyped up the ludicrousness a bit more to save us from those 80s vibes that were still coming through, but it was funny. Don't let the fact that it's parodying the genre detract from the fact that it's still for all intents and purposes an 80s actioner.

  4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 5 starsAwesome Laughs

BCLSLM from Nottinghamshire , 07/09/2005

This was a laugh from start to finish with good action in it too. Kurt Russell played a good part even with the big headedness of the character he played.

It was a great film to watch and if you like action and comedy then this is the one to watch.

  4 out of 6 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 4 starsRussell Crows for the Carpenter Yet Again!

Gibbo from Moreton, Wirral , 25/07/2006

Another great collaboration between two of films most unsung heroes. Elvis, The Thing, Escape From New York and now this lighter effort see's Kurt and John churning out another enjoyable romp that unfortunately doesn't reach the heights of those previous efforts, but is still great nonetheless, so watch it and smirk your ass off.

  3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
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Most Recent Reviews

Rated - 4 stars

A customer from ABINGDON , 02/09/2004

This is a great film. The special effects are very good for the age, relying on traditional model and puppetry etc not computer graphics.

An interesting story with action and comedy.

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 4 starsRussell Crows for the Carpenter Yet Again!

Gibbo from Moreton, Wirral , 25/07/2006

Another great collaboration between two of films most unsung heroes. Elvis, The Thing, Escape From New York and now this lighter effort see's Kurt and John churning out another enjoyable romp that unfortunately doesn't reach the heights of those previous efforts, but is still great nonetheless, so watch it and smirk your ass off.

  3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
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