#1 Cheap Big Trouble in Little China [Blu-ray] Reviews
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If you are considering buying this blu-ray release, then I don't have to sell you on this wonderfully entertaining movie. There are plenty of online reviews that will do that. This is a classic action comedy movie that didn't do well at the box office in 1986, but has attracted a growing audience with time. If you own the DVD, the only benefit that I could tell is the upgraded quality. Kudos to 20th Century Fox on a job well done.
The transfer to blu-ray is great. The video is sharp and clean, there were no artifacts that I could tell. Color and clarity was on par with film. The audio is crisp. Watching it in blu-ray reminds me of the original theatrical release on the big screen; too bad it only took 23 years. If you only own the VHS version, this will be like night and day. In fact, some of the deleted scenes are raw footage or stuff from the beta-max release and you can tell how bad video was back then. Oh yeah, you get to see a young strapping Kurt Russell and Kim Catrall who was simply gorgeous.
The commentary appears to be the same from the DVD release. John Carpenter and Kurt Russell not only recount their memories of filming the movie, but also offer their personal insights into film making, acting, and their experiences together. On top of that, they often stop commenting on the movie altogether and talk about personal stuff like their kids and how they're growing up. This is both good and bad as you can tell the two really enjoy being around each other, but it also detracts from hearing anything worthwhile that they could have commented on during certain scenes. They both recognize this and apologize a number of times. But overall, it was definitely enjoyable and added more to the movie.
Other extras are the featurette, deleted scenes, extended ending, photo gallery (lots of pics), music video, interview with Richard Edlund, trailer and TV spots. While flipping through the menu options, you may randomly get a Jack Burton quote displayed; not sure if this was done on the DVD menu as I didn't own that.
I got this on sale for .99 and it was well worth it.
Big Trouble in Little China [Blu-ray] Overview
Directed by thrill master John Carpenter, this edge-of-your seat adventure stars Kurt Russell as Jack Burton, a tough-talking, wisecracking truck driver whose hum-drum life on the road takes a sudden supernatural tailspin when his best friend's fiancee is kidnapped. Speeding to the rescue, Jack finds himself deep beneath San Francisco's Chinatown, in a murky, creature-filled world ruled by Lo Pan, a 2000-year-old magician who mercilessly presides over an empire of spirits. Dodging demons and facing baffling terrors, Jack battles his way through Lo Pan's dark domain in a full-throttle, action-riddled ride to rescue the girl. Co-starring Kim Cattrall, this effects-filled sci-fi spectacle speeds to an incredible, twist-taking finish.
- Audio: English: 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio, Dolby Surround / Spanish & French: 5.1 Dolby Digital
- Language: Dubbed & Subtitled: English, French & Spanish
- Aspect Ratio: Widescreen: 2.35:1
green-eyed ladies, at the center of a jumbled fantasy romp. . . - trebe -
Kurt Russell, and director John Carpenter first worked together on the made for TV movie Elvis (1979), followed by the futuristic adventure Escape From New York (1981), and then the remake of the science fiction classic, The Thing (1982). Their fourth film together, Big Trouble In Little China (1986), is a totally off the wall, mixture of fantasy, action, martial arts, and comedy. Seemingly influenced by martial arts films of the time, and featuring some well known martial arts actors, Carpenter's film has thin ties to reality. With a radically zany plot, it is not a film where serious scrutiny is very productive.
Russell is truck driver Jack Burton, who on the way to collect a gambling debt from Wang Chi (Dennis Dun, Midnight Caller), is drawn into a crazy adventure involving Wang's kidnapped fiancé Miao Yin (Suzi Pai), a spunky attorney Gracie Law (Kim Cattrall), and numerous members of the local Chinese community. David Lo Pan (James Hong) is an aging big wheel, who believes that sacrificing a green-eyed maiden, will lift a curse and restore his youth. With Miao and Gracie being both green-eyed, they are each a special prize. Bus driver Egg Shen (Victor Wong), provides wisdom, and support.
There are various special effects and outrageous stunts, mixed with plenty of action and wild fights. Serious bloodshed is avoided. Dennis Dun, apparently had very little experience with acting, martial arts, and fighting, prior to working on the film, which makes his performance even more impressive. Dun does a fantastic job at everything, and has an excellent sense of comedic timing as well. Although this may not be an ideal platform, Kim Cattrall's performance is bold, and sassy.
Good buddies Kurt Russell and John Carpenter, get together for a commentary track, that is relaxed to the max. Full of belly laughs, behind the scenes tidbits, and amusing anecdotes, the two do a pretty good job of dissecting the film, and catching up on the past. Russell, who has been involved in acting almost his entire life, sounds like a down to earth, regular guy, who appreciates the career he has had. For this film, he seems to be having a lot of fun just rolling with the role. The pair reflect that the film did not get a lot of studio support, and is usually a hit or miss, with most viewers.
The regular edition has a two-sided disc, with both widescreen and pan and scan editions of the film available. The video quality is not that great, which makes the only slightly more expensive blu-ray edition, that contains a few more extras, a very attractive option for those that are already fans.
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