Big Trouble in Little China
a retro movie review.
A Retro Movie Review: Big Trouble in Little China
Is this a bad movie? I don't think so. This movie works because of the character Jack Burton. Yes this movie is ridiculous but that is what director John Carpenter was going for.
Now because I'm lazy I will use initials for these movie for the rest of the article.
In BTLC there is this character name Jack Burton played by Kurt Russel. You may remember Kurt Russel from the Escape from New York and Escape from LA. I don't because I haven't seen either of these. but you might remember Kurt from the more recent Grindhouse presents Death Proof.
various Kurt Russel movies [/size]
Well in BTLC the character Jack Burton is an American truck driver who has a Chinese friend Wang in Chinatown San Francisco. After finishing his shift Jack meets his friend Wang for a night of gambling.
Our hero's Jack and Wang [/size]
In the morning Jack takes Wang to the airport to pick up his finance Miao Yin. Miao Yin is a Chinese woman with green eyes. Not to many Chinese women have green eyes. Believe it or not the fact that she has green eyes is important. At the airport we are introduced to Kim Cattrall's character Gracie Law whom also has green eyes. Also important trust me.
Such beautiful woman with jade green eyes [/size]
Kim was a big movie actress then and now she is more known for the tv show and Sex and the City movies. More about Gracie latter. At the airport Miao Yin gets kidnapped by a Chinese gang known as Lords of Death.
That guy in the middle where can I get those glasses [/size]
Is this a bad movie? I don't think so. This movie works because of the character Jack Burton. Yes this movie is ridiculous but that is what director John Carpenter was going for.
Now because I'm lazy I will use initials for these movie for the rest of the article.
In BTLC there is this character name Jack Burton played by Kurt Russel. You may remember Kurt Russel from the Escape from New York and Escape from LA. I don't because I haven't seen either of these. but you might remember Kurt from the more recent Grindhouse presents Death Proof.
various Kurt Russel movies [/size]
Well in BTLC the character Jack Burton is an American truck driver who has a Chinese friend Wang in Chinatown San Francisco. After finishing his shift Jack meets his friend Wang for a night of gambling.
Our hero's Jack and Wang [/size]
In the morning Jack takes Wang to the airport to pick up his finance Miao Yin. Miao Yin is a Chinese woman with green eyes. Not to many Chinese women have green eyes. Believe it or not the fact that she has green eyes is important. At the airport we are introduced to Kim Cattrall's character Gracie Law whom also has green eyes. Also important trust me.
Such beautiful woman with jade green eyes [/size]
Kim was a big movie actress then and now she is more known for the tv show and Sex and the City movies. More about Gracie latter. At the airport Miao Yin gets kidnapped by a Chinese gang known as Lords of Death.
That guy in the middle where can I get those glasses [/size]
Jack and Wang chase them in Jack's truck into an alley where a big Chinese Gang fight breaks out and Jack and Wang are sitting in the truck in the middle of it. These guys with weather like powers known as the "Three Storms" Thunder, Rain, and Lighting show up in the middle of the fight and then later the main villain Lo Pan. Wang and Jack abandon their truck as they escape. Jack's truck was then taken by the gang known as the Wing Kong.
A Storm or 3 is heading are way [/size]
Later Jack and Wang regroup at Wang's restaurant when Gracie Law shows up. Cracie tells them that Miao Yin was sold to the White Tiger to be used for prostitution. Well Jack poses as a nerdy business man looking for some action trying to find Miao Yin. That's when more trouble arises and the Three Storms show up and take Miao Yin.
some disguise [/size]
Jack and Wang go to find Miao Yin at the Wing Kong Exchange and then get caught. There they meet David Lo Pan. This time Lo Pan is this very old man instead of the younger ghostly figure we saw earlier. This scene explains his curse. Basically Lo Pan is cursed to live as an old man until he marries and sacrifices a girl with green eyes to lift his curse and rule the world from beyond the grave. indeed. So then that's what he wants with Miao Yin. Gracie whom also has green eyes also gets kidnapped. All right then so Lo Pan plans to marry them both. While all this is going on Jack constantly reminds us he just wants his truck back.
This picture speaks for itself [/size]
So now Wang and Jack team up with an older Chinese man Egg Shen. Shen has a vast knowledge of Lo Pan, has special weapons to defeat Lo Pan and along with a Martial Arts clan known as Chang Sings go into a secret cavern that leads to Lo Pan's temple for the final battle.
group shot of heros [/size]
Now then I didn't see this in theaters because I was only 1 at the time. I did however seen it after Mortal Kombat the movie came out and I liked BTLC then because this movie kinda reminded me of MK and anything MK related back then was awesome. Now that I'm grown up I see some flaws in the movie and I may be more critical about some scenes, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the movie as a whole. Lets look at this way. John Carpenter the director wanted the hero and sidekick roles reversed in a way the plays for comedy. This movie does not take itself seriously because it is not supposed to. This movie knows at times its campy who cares? It's still entertaining and that's all the matters right? If a movie is entertaining despite having a few flaws I consider it to be a good movie. Good but probably not great. So at least in my opinion Big Trouble in Little China is a good movie
Rating: 7 out of 10
Now Remember what ole Jack Burton always says "Have you paid your dues Jack, yes sir the check is in the mail."
A Storm or 3 is heading are way [/size]
Later Jack and Wang regroup at Wang's restaurant when Gracie Law shows up. Cracie tells them that Miao Yin was sold to the White Tiger to be used for prostitution. Well Jack poses as a nerdy business man looking for some action trying to find Miao Yin. That's when more trouble arises and the Three Storms show up and take Miao Yin.
some disguise [/size]
Jack and Wang go to find Miao Yin at the Wing Kong Exchange and then get caught. There they meet David Lo Pan. This time Lo Pan is this very old man instead of the younger ghostly figure we saw earlier. This scene explains his curse. Basically Lo Pan is cursed to live as an old man until he marries and sacrifices a girl with green eyes to lift his curse and rule the world from beyond the grave. indeed. So then that's what he wants with Miao Yin. Gracie whom also has green eyes also gets kidnapped. All right then so Lo Pan plans to marry them both. While all this is going on Jack constantly reminds us he just wants his truck back.
This picture speaks for itself [/size]
So now Wang and Jack team up with an older Chinese man Egg Shen. Shen has a vast knowledge of Lo Pan, has special weapons to defeat Lo Pan and along with a Martial Arts clan known as Chang Sings go into a secret cavern that leads to Lo Pan's temple for the final battle.
group shot of heros [/size]
Now then I didn't see this in theaters because I was only 1 at the time. I did however seen it after Mortal Kombat the movie came out and I liked BTLC then because this movie kinda reminded me of MK and anything MK related back then was awesome. Now that I'm grown up I see some flaws in the movie and I may be more critical about some scenes, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the movie as a whole. Lets look at this way. John Carpenter the director wanted the hero and sidekick roles reversed in a way the plays for comedy. This movie does not take itself seriously because it is not supposed to. This movie knows at times its campy who cares? It's still entertaining and that's all the matters right? If a movie is entertaining despite having a few flaws I consider it to be a good movie. Good but probably not great. So at least in my opinion Big Trouble in Little China is a good movie
Rating: 7 out of 10
Now Remember what ole Jack Burton always says "Have you paid your dues Jack, yes sir the check is in the mail."
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