Hacker Cinema
Poster for Big Trouble in Little China

Big Trouble in Little China

1986 · Film · 100 min

Directed by John Carpenter

ActionAdventureComedyFantasy

Truck driver Jack Burton gets embroiled in a supernatural battle when his best friend Wang Chi's green-eyed fiancée is kidnapped by henchmen of the sorcerer Lo Pan, who must marry a girl with green eyes in order to return to the human realm.

6 positive3 neutralfrom 9 commenters

IMDbTMDBTrends

Where to watch

No streaming data for this title.

10 comments on Hacker News

  1. Positiveisx726552Apr 10, 2025

    Really curious to know what the test shots from Boss Films looked like!

    Richard Edlund’s team’s work on various films of the 80s was impeccable (including Ghostbusters, Die Hard, Big Trouble in Little China, and more). They were the inheritor of the crown of high quality 65mm VFX after Douglas Trumbull quit the business (the pinnacle of his work being films like Blade Runner and Brainstorm).

    I have to wonder what was wrong that caused the last minute switch to ILM!

  2. NeutralhinkleyApr 10, 2025

    13th Warrior usually makes the top list of any “movies that Rotten Tomatoes has done dirty”.

    It depends I think on whether the Big Trouble in Little China fans are still asleep.

  3. Positivemaximus-decimusJan 26, 2025

    > Why spend hours sorting through Netflix' low quality catalog when you can watch a movie you love whenever you want?

    Because I would rather watch something I've never seen before?

    I've heard a story on Reddit of a guy watching Big Trouble in Little China everyday for years, but usually people wanna watch new stuff. I guess people also rewatch shows like Friends and The Office, but do they really "watch" it or do they just play it as background noise?

  4. NeutralhinkleyNov 25, 2023

    It was supposed to be an acting vehicle for a football player. It's so camp.

    But it also has Max von Sydow in it, and Brian Blessed is every bit as over the top as he is in season 1 of Black Adder.

    It occupies much the same genre as Big Trouble in Little China and the Evil Dead movies. If you're looking for something deep, you're in the wrong place.

  5. NeutralcableshaftNov 9, 2023

    > They made a mistake and got too greedy and make a subscription I barely paid attention to something that got too expensive...

    That's the thing, in the past I I'd go months without watching anything on Netflix yet still pay them for it, so they were essentially getting a free $8 a month (or whatever) off me during that time.

    Now the prices have gone up so much it doesn't make sense to keep subscribed for something I'm barely using, just so I can easily watch a single show that interests me once every three months or so.

    The only streaming service that has makes some sense for me to pay for right now is Youtube's, since that's my goto for videos anyway, and it's nice not to have ads for those.

    Additionally they also have a bunch of great older movies free to watch movies on Youtube, probably a better selection (of movies I care about) than Netflix right now (saw/rewatched Train to Busan, Little Shop of Horrors, Ghostbusters, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Tropic Thunder, Fifth Element, Big Trouble in Little China, Dr. Strangelove, 12 Angry Men, Pee-wee's Big Adventure, The Truman Show, Air Force One, Dirty Work, and Dracula: Dead and Loving It recently).

  6. PositivekwertyoowiyopSep 24, 2022

    The writer is, of course, wrong. Big Trouble in Little China is the most quotable movie.

  7. PositivehairofadogAug 12, 2021

    I love the movie, and I agree with you.

    Big Trouble in Little China is an example where I think they did this intentionally and it worked; Kurt Russell’s character (arguably the main character) doesn’t actually do anything but witness the story, and everything would have turned out more or less the same if he hadn’t been there. In the case of Raiders, I don’t think it was intentional and it didn’t work (though like you say the rest of the movie was so strong and fun it doesn’t matter).

    I do love the warehouse scene at the end, however, and think about it all the time.

    Top. Men.

  8. NeutralenjoApr 7, 2016

    They don't have rights to stream any decent movies

    That seems hyperbolic. Just browsing around (I decided to cap this at 5 minutes):

    The Interview

    Forrest Gump

    Major League

    Pirates of Carribean

    Hot Fuzz

    Armageddon

    Kingpin

    A League of Their Own

    Inglorious Basterds

    Scarface

    Django Unchained

    Legally Blonde

    E.T.

    Days of Thunder

    The Princess Bride

    Crocodile Dundee

    Clear and Present Danger

    V for Vendetta

    Galaxy Quest

    Running Man

    Big Trouble in Little China

    Talladega Nights

    Kill Bill (1 and 2)

    Star Trek Movies (including The Wrath of Kahn)

    Tommy Boy

    Team America World Police

    Lilo & Stitch

    Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back

    Wayne's World

    Clerks

    Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure

  9. PositivedrivingmenutsDec 1, 2014

    All of the problems you mention are problems created by the writer, director, producers, etc., and have nothing to do with bad science. They can, and frequently do, show up in every genre of film. One of my favorite films is Big Trouble in Little China (as an example) and I'm sure there are all kinds of issues about the film itself, but I still love the film. Ditto Blade Runner, Brazil, Contact, etc.

    Disclaimer: I'm not a scientist by profession.

  10. PositivebaneApr 26, 2012

    I agree with these definitions. For some reason, most of the films I really like to watch over and over again are actually not the films I'd say are the highest in quality.

    e.g. I'd consider The Shawshank Redemption to be a high quality movie, but I have no particular desire to watch it again (even though I enjoyed it). On the other hand I can't watch enough of Big Trouble in Little China even if it's a cheesy movie.

    Some of my favorites though have both qualities, e.g. Blade Runner.