New Release Review- Big Trouble in Little China, 1986

Available from the 1st January on Netflix UK

Everybody knows I love John Carpenter and Big Trouble in Little China is not Carpenters best film, but it is an action comedy jammed full of fun. Before watching Big Trouble in Little China the only Carpenter films I’d seen had been very much seated in the horror genre. BUT despite not being the type of horror film I know Carpenter for the whole thing is drenched in his style.

Trucker Jack Burton (Kurt Russell- who also starred in Tarantino’s Death Proof available on Netflix UK) agrees to pick up his friend Wang Chi’s (Dennis Dun) fiance at the airport with him. Of course things don’t go to plan and we delve into a fantasy adventure where good an evil collide. See, the evil sorcerer Lo Pan must marry a girl with emerald eyes to regain his physical form – and unfortunately for Wang Chi, his fiance, and Jack Burton, she is a beautiful women with emerald green eyes.

It’s great fun, with superb pacing, and some truly memorable costume design and characters. There’s even some weird supernatural monsters in the mix. You know, cause it’s awesome- and they look awesome, but what else would you expect from Carpenter? He’s know for his special- effects movies.

Ultimately Big Trouble in Little China is an easy going movie, the type of movie you can just get enjoyment out of without diving too deep into anything. It looks great, it feels great and it’s never boring- go watch it!!!!

5/5