Big Trouble in Little China (released in theaters on July 2, 1986) roars to life as a wildly imaginative, genre-bending 1986 martial arts action-comedy that subverts traditional Hollywood hero tropes with infectious enthusiasm. Directed by John Carpenter, the plot follows Jack Burton (Kurt Russell), an arrogant, swaggering, and delightfully dim-witted truck driver who drives his iconic rig, the Pork-Chop Express, into San Francisco’s Chinatown.
After winning a high-stakes gambling bet against his restaurateur friend Wang Chi (Dennis Dun), Jack accompanies him to the airport to pick up Wang’s green-eyed fiancée, Miao Yin.
Disaster strikes when a vicious street gang kidnaps the young woman right before their eyes. Jack and Wang give chase, plunging headfirst into a hidden subterranean criminal underworld governed by ancient Chinese sorcery and supernatural warfare.
As their rescue mission intensifies, the duo uncovers a catastrophic plot orchestrated by David Lo Pan (James Hong), a cursed, centuries-old sorcerer who exists as a decrepit ghost. Lo Pan needs to sacrifice a rare, green-eyed woman to satisfy an ancient emperor, regain his mortal flesh, and conquer the world.
Jack and Wang quickly ally themselves with Gracie Law (Kim Cattrall), a fiercely determined civil rights lawyer, and Egg Shen (Victor Wong), a wise tour bus driver who doubles as a powerful sorcerer.
Armed with guns, knives, and mystical potions, the team infiltrates Lo Pan’s labyrinthine fortress, navigating a gauntlet of bizarre monsters, specialized martial artists, and three elemental demigods known as the Storms, culminating in a fast-paced, neon-drenched showdown where the true athletic heroics are left to Wang while Jack hilariously stumbles his way toward saving the day.
Kurt Russell in Big Trouble in Little China (Photo/20th Century Fox)
Reception for Big Trouble in Little China
Big Trouble in Little China grossed $2.7 million on its opening weekend, finishing 12th at the box office.
The film would gross $11.1 million in its theatrical run.
Roger Ebert gave Big Trouble in Little China two out of four stars in his review.
Legacy
Big Trouble in Little China‘s legacy is famously defined by its massive post-theatrical transformation into a legendary cult classic. Initially a box office failure due to a thoroughly confused studio marketing campaign, the movie found an intensely loyal audience on home video and television broadcasts, completely redefining how modern cinema approaches martial arts comedies.
Big Trouble in Little China‘s distinct aesthetic, quotable dialogue, and synthesis of Eastern mythology with Western action continue to directly influence modern superhero blockbusters, video game developers, and a dedicated generation of pop culture enthusiasts.
