Big Trouble in Little China

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Playing in a manner that can be conservatively described as larger than life, Kurt Russell plays a macho truck driver who agrees to go to the San Francisco airport and pick up his friend's (Dennis Dun) fiancee (Suzee Pai, freshly arrived from China. Suddenly, a gang of Chinatown toughs kidnap the girl right before Russell's eyes. After a wild chase sequence, Russell discovers that the girl has been abducted by a genuine, bonafide sorceror (James Hong), the ghost of a 3000 year old warlord. And that's just for starters. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope), 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital Mono
• Screen: Pan and Scan, Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Subtitle: Spanish, English
• Features:
  • cc
  • Commentary by John Carpenter & Kurt Russell
  • Interactive menus
  • Scene selection
  • Original theatrical trailer
  • Anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1)
  • Pan & scan (1.33:1)
  • English, French and Spanish audio
  • Spanish and English subtitles

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  John Carpenter

• Producer:

  Larry Franco, Gary Goldman

• Screenwriter:

  John Carpenter, W.D. Richter, David Z. Weinstein, Gary Goldman

• Cinematographer:

  Dean Cundey

• Composer (Music Score):

  John Carpenter

• Songwriter:

  John Carpenter

• Composer (Music Score):

  Alan Howarth

• Editor:

  Steve Mirkovich, Mark Warner, Edward Warschilka

• Production Designer:

  John J. Lloyd

• Art Director:

  Les Gobruegge

• Associate Producer:

  James Lew, Jim Lau

• Executive Producer:

  Keith Barish, Paul Monash

• Set Designer:

  George R. Nelson

• Costume Designer:

  April Ferry

• Makeup:

  Ken Chase

• Special Effects:

  Richard Edlund

• Camera Operator:

  Raymond Stella

• Stunts:

  David Cadiente, Phil Chong, Ken Fritz, Conan Lee, Dennis Scott, Dean Wein, Eddie Wong, Harry Wong, Eddy Donno, Kenny Endoso, Jeff Imada, Gary McLarty, Richard Warlock, Janet Brady, Ellarye, Denise Kellogg, Simone Boisseree

• Casting:

  Joanna Merlin

• Fights Choreographer:

  James Lew

REVIEW:

• Kurt Russell has a great time doing his best John Wayne impersonation in Big Trouble in Little China, an enjoyably offbeat adventure tale from horror director John Carpenter. Borrowing its style from the Indiana Jones movies, Big Trouble is set in the underworld of Chinatown where centuries-old wars are fought with swords and sorcery. Picking up where his Snake Plissken left off in Escape from New York, Russell stars as a cocky, boisterous trucker who gets caught up in the madness. While the fight scenes are sharply choreographed and exciting, Carpenter maintains a humorous, tongue-firmly-in-cheek mood that has as many funny gags as it does duds. The supporting cast -- led by Dennis Dun, James Hong, Victor Wong (also in Carpenter's Prince of Darkness), and Kim Cattrall -- also appears to be having a good time with the material. The extensive special effects are not among the best of their time, but they are perfectly in keeping with the film's light tone. Highlights include several garish-looking creatures and excellent aging makeup work on the villain. ~ Patrick Legare, Rovi