Big Trouble in Little China

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Big Trouble in Little China

PG-13

1986

1h 39m

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

71%

Tomatometer

69 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

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 crime lord has kidnapped a beautiful green-eyed woman, who is the fiancée 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.

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Critics Consensus

Brimming with energy and packed with humor, Big Trouble in Little China distills kung fu B-movies as affectionately as it subverts them.

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

06/29/2021

2/4

A rollicking, colourful comic strip of a movie with bells on.

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Eleanor Ringel Cater

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

06/29/2021

Carpenter and his lively cast seem to be having such a good time that the easiest thing to do is relax and enjoy the ride. In a way, this is the movie "Escape from New York" was trying to be but never quite managed to pull off.

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Kathleen Carroll

New York Daily News

06/29/2021

2/4

Watching Kurt Russell display not only a set of bulging biceps, but also... easy-going self-confidence is admittedly fun at times, even if the movie is as impenetrable as chop suey.

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Richard Freedman

Newark Star-Ledger

Jan 7

No real Chinatown was ever as dull as this fanciful one.

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David Elliott

Copley News Service

Dec 13

The movie is an assault and battery job, and exhausting to watch.

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Chance Solem-Pfeifer

Willamette Week

Dec 12

Directed by John Carpenter during one of the great filmmaking hot streaks of all time, Big Trouble is a rarely seen kind of action comedy—neither spoof nor satire and containing not a single moment of genuine sentiment.

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Robert S.

@IZaBaD1 2d

It's one of my all-time favorites

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Julian K

@Jman2026 Jan 31

One of the greatest films ever made. It's impossible to have a bad time watching this movie.

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Jacqueline P

Nov 21

Such a great film. Full of adventure, great acting, so enjoyable and nostalgic.

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Jack F

@MovieFan111 Nov 20

It's so 80s, with Russell at his best. Worth a watch for anytime of day.

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Michael L.

@jediloomis Nov 16

While this can't be said for all of Carpenter's films, this one has gotten better with age. This is an all time classic. It is uniquely its own, even while reminding you of things you have seen before, but never done quite this fun. Highly recommended.

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Olivia J

Oct 2

When a circus is done right, you get caught up in its rhythm and lost in the fun of it. Carpenter has done it right.

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John Carpenter

Director

Kurt Russell

Jack Burton

Kim Cattrall

Gracie Law

Dennis Dun

Wang Chi

James Hong

David Lo Pan

Victor Wong

Egg Shen

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Synopsis

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 crime lord has kidnapped a beautiful green-eyed woman, who is the fiancée 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.

Director: John Carpenter
Producer: Larry J. Franco
Screenwriter: Gary Goldman, David Weinstein, W.D. Richter
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: TAFT Entertainment, SLM Production Group, Twentieth Century Fox
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 30, 1986, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $11.0M
Runtime: 1h 39m
Sound Mix: Magnetic Stereo 6 Track, Mono, Surround, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio: 70mm, Scope (2.35:1)

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