Why It Ranks
Big Trouble is the ultimate cult action film — a box office bomb that became a cultural institution. Kurt Russell’s Jack Burton is the greatest parody of action hero machismo ever created, and Carpenter’s blend of martial arts, fantasy, and comedy was decades ahead of its time.
The Film
Big Trouble in Little China is John Carpenter’s genre-blending masterpiece — a martial arts fantasy comedy action film starring Kurt Russell as Jack Burton, a loudmouthed truck driver who stumbles into an ancient Chinese sorcery conflict in San Francisco’s Chinatown. The genius of the film is that Jack thinks he’s the hero but is actually the bumbling sidekick. Dennis Dun’s Wang Chi is the real protagonist, and Russell spends most of the film confused, outmatched, and accidentally knocking himself unconscious. It was a commercial disaster in 1986 and has since become one of the most beloved cult action films ever made, influencing everything from Mortal Kombat to Marvel.
Fun Facts
The film was a massive box office bomb, earning $11 million against a $25 million budget, which led to Carpenter leaving studio filmmaking.
Kurt Russell based Jack Burton on John Wayne, specifically his swagger and overconfidence.
Dwayne Johnson has been attached to a remake for years, but fan backlash has kept it in development limbo.
The film’s opening line — ‘It’s all in the reflexes’ — became a catchphrase that has outlived the film’s original run by four decades.
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