ShangLuda
Admirable film.
Usamah Harvey
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Casey Duggan
It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
hellholehorror
This should have been called Big Adventure in Little China as this is all about the Chinese fun adventure time. It is complete hokum but it is enjoyable and entertaining hokum. The acting is pretty over-board as well as the green magical special effects but the whole atmosphere makes this movie a joy to watch. I'm Chinese and I don't even want to believe it. Very recommended. The fantastic thing about this is the culture clash between the loud-mouth American and Chinese subtlety. With green explosions.
CinemaClown
Blending the elements of action, fantasy, adventure, comedy as well as subtle shades of western & horror into one fun, farcical & frivolous entertainer, John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China is his first foray into martial arts filmmaking, and is a non-stop thrill ride that throws anything & everything on screen without caring about whether it will make any sense or not.The story of Big Trouble in Little China follows an all-American truck driver who accompanies his Chinese friend to the airport to receive his green-eyed fiancée but when she's abducted by a Chinese street gang, the two go after the group to rescue her but are inadvertently dragged into a centuries-old mystical battle where they confront an ancient sorcerer who's got plans for the girl.Directed by John Carpenter who's best known for his works in the horror genre, Big Trouble in Little China fulfils the notable director's long-standing desire to make a martial arts flick, and the passion, imagination & enthusiasm with which he's crafted this action-packed feature makes sure that the plot's momentum or the viewers' interest never fizzles out even when the unfolding set of events stop making sense.The set pieces do add flavours of China to its location & setting, and it's all illustrated in a detailed manner. Camera-work is fluid & frenetic and is always in tune with the scene requirements, Editing never lets the story come to a halt, Visual effects may have worked back then but it looks horribly dated today & almost threw me out of the movie. And Carpenter comes up with another cool score that only adds to its adventurous vibe.Coming to the performances, the film marks yet another collaboration between the director & Kurt Russell while Dennis Dun, Kim Cattrall, James Hong, Victor Wong etc make up the supporting cast. Russell delivers a terrific performance as Jack Burton, a character who looks tough as nails but is more or less hot air in actuality. Dun builds his input slowly but goes into high-flying mode in the story's final act while the remaining cast ably play their roles.On an overall scale, Big Trouble in Little China is an adventure fantasy that not only embraces its ridiculous premise but also runs with it. Weird, wicked & whacky, it's always on the move, makes splendid use of humour, is absurdly comical at times, and offers a good dose of laughs & silliness throughout its runtime. A slapstick, ludicrous & lighthearted delight that works best when you sit back, relax & enjoy it for what it is, Big Trouble in Little China is not my type of movie but it proves Carpenter's ability to handle projects that lie outside of his forte. Worth a shot.
RoboGarrett
I wish that fun-tastic was actually a word because if it was it would have been the perfect word I could use to describe what I think about this movie. Big Trouble in Little China is a very fun movie and far from what you would usually expect from John Carpenter, it's a fun and funny adventure that is one of his best movies and one of Kurt Russell's best performances.Big Trouble in Little China is incredibly strange and bizarre but everything works together to create a very fun movie experience. It might be a little bit "adult" themed or a tad scary for younger children but for the most part parents and kids would all enjoy this movie experience.Lots of great action and good (for its time) effects combined with really funny moments.
Sean Lamberger
Somehow Road House had a baby with the very campiest of 1960s Hong Kong, and John Carpenter signed on to direct (plus compose the soundtrack). Wildly entertaining, and self-aware enough to embrace the sheer lunacy of mysically-powered gang warfare amidst the nooks and crannies of Chinatown, it's no wonder this would become such a cult classic. Kurt Russel is dead-perfect as Jack Burton, the brash, headstrong, somewhat confused would-be hero who doesn't realize he's actually the sidekick. As one might expect, things get carried away somewhere between the first trap elevator and the second (must've been a deal at the villainous super-mart this week) but that's actually for the best: Big Trouble is most in its element when it casts aside mere storyline concerns, flies off the handle and embraces its ridiculous side. The plot is simplistic and the fight scenes aren't all that great - too many jump cuts and blunt-handed effects - but the mood is a direct hit and it's certainly never tame. When it comes to the final confrontation, it's more about quick reflexes than martial arts anyway. A board-dumb classic of the bombastic '80s action scene, and one of my favorite empty climaxes ever. Here's hoping Hollywood understands what made it work so well when they push out the impending remake.
