[6]
Kurt Russell stars as a cocky truck driver who gets embroiled in a mystical adventure beneath San Francisco’s Chinatown in this cartoonish action-comedy from director John Carpenter (Starman, The Thing). When the fiancée of a friend (Dennis Dun) is kidnapped by a devilish gang lord (James Hong), Russell’s character joins the rescue mission, dropping into a number of elaborate martial arts battles and a series of supernatural shenanigans.
Big Trouble in Little China was a box office flop upon its initial release, but has since gathered a cult following. It successfully captures the B-movie glee of both Kung Fu movies and grindhouse action flicks, led by a charismatic lead performance from Russell. Russell’s character, Jack Burton, sounds like John Wayne, delivering pithy witticisms that never land right. The character subverts our expectations for an action hero as he comically fumbles nearly every heroic opportunity. Burton thinks he’s the story’s hero, when he’s really the sidekick to Dun’s character. That everyone still treats Jack like a hero, despite his many foibles, is part of this film’s post-modern charm.
Carpenter surrounds Russell with a great supporting cast, including the lovely Kim Cattrall (Mannequin, Sex and the City) as a quirky love interest and Victor Wong as a humorous mentor figure. James Hong is especially memorable, finding the right balance between silly and diabolical as the film’s outlandish villain. Dean Cundey’s photography, the production design and visual effects are also stand-outs, with Carpenter and Alan Howarth’s score adding considerable momentum.
For as much as Big Trouble in Little China does right to entertain the twelve-year-old in us all, its script never operates beyond a superficial level. It’s a matinee genre flick — a pretty good one — but nothing more. We never care about any of the shallow characters or what they’re trying to achieve. The charisma of the cast only goes so far. It would have been nice if the film took itself a little more seriously, just enough to help us invest emotionally in the movie. The stakes are so much higher when the audience really cares. Even with this considerable deficit, however, Big Trouble in Little China can be a fun time for the kid at heart.
With Kate Burton, Donald Li, and Carter Wong.