Grade: A-
Synopsis: A trucker (Kurt Russell) finds himself caught in the middle of a centuries-old battle under San Francisco’s Chinatown.
Big Trouble in Little China is a fun movie. Kurt Russell channels John Wayne caught smack in the middle of a Shaw Brothers production and the result is almost impossible to dislike.
From the over the top exposition to the classic one-liners, Big Trouble in Little China is winking at the audience the entire time. This isn’t so much a movie as it is a celebration of movies, of chop-socky cinema and Saturday matinee heroes. What makes Big Trouble in Little China work is that it never takes itself seriously, even though it treats its source material with reverence.
Granted, Big Trouble in Little China isn’t perfect. It does date itself pretty badly at times (Seriously, what’s with all the neon in the secret underground chamber?) and the Eddie and Margo characters are basically useless, but the movie’s so damn entertaining you just don’t care.
Bottom Line: A hard movie to hate. Recommended.
