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Blu-ray Review: BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (COLLECTOR’S EDITION)

Jan 01, 2020 Posted by in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

“All I know is, this Lo Pan character comes out of thin air in the middle of a God-damn alley, while his buddies are flying around on wires, cuttin’ everybody to shreds, and he just stands there, waiting for me to drive my truck straight through him, with light comin’ out of his mouth!”

Truck driver Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) makes a delivery in his “Pork Chop Express” to a restaurant in Chinatown and stops off for some pai gow poker before he gets back on the road. Restaurant owner Wang Chi (Dennis Dun) loses a bet with Jack, and so Jack accompanies him until he gets his money. The two stop off at the airport to pick up Wang’s exotic green-eyed fiancee, but she is kidnapped by a local gang. They follow the men into an alley where they find themselves smack in the middle of a deadly gang war. However, things manage to take a turn for the worse when three warriors come floating down from the sky, wearing baskets on their heads and shooting lighting from their hands. These three “Storms” are the mystical henchmen of David Lo Pan (James Hong), a 2000 year old ghost who needs to marry a girl with green eyes to break a curse and become mortal again. If Jack ever wants to see his truck again, or get the money he is owed, he must help Wang infiltrate Lo Pan’s evil underground lair and rescue the girl, while taking on various magical creatures and kung fu masters. Aiding them in their efforts are tour bus driver/sorcerer Egg Shen (Victor Wong), lawyer Gracie Law (Kim Cattrall), reporter Margo (Kate Burton) and new restaurant maître d Eddie (Donald Li).

Big Trouble in Little China is the fourth collaboration between star Kurt Russell and director John Carpenter. It is an extremely fun and entertaining action-comedy that is a modern-day western, mixed with elements of a kung fu movie and ancient Chinese folklore and fantasy. Jack Burton is not your typical action hero. Kurt Russel is perfectly cast as this cocky guy who thinks and acts like he can do anything, while in reality, he’s often bumbling and inept—though he always seems to succeed via dumb luck. Jack’s sidekick Wang is actually the true action hero, utilizing his martial arts skills to take down the bad guys to get his girl. The film constantly subverts expectations, taking elements you would expect in a film like this and going in a different, unexpected direction. The film gets a bit crazy and out there at times—going from amazing martial arts fights, to Jack and the gang encountering giant furry monsters or floating eyeballs, and taking on the cackling Lo Pan—but that is part of the unpredictable fun. The supporting cast is fantastic—James Hong and Victor Wong are amazing, prolific character actors that had done numerous projects both before and after this film, Dennis Dun is the true action hero of the film, and Kim Cattrall is a fun delight, whose character is not just there to be a love interest for the leading man.

Growing up I saw this film countless times on cable and VHS, and so I was excited to revisit the film on Shout’s new Blu-ray release. This deluxe Collector’s Edition looks so amazing that it felt like I was watching a brand new film! Aside from the rainy opening title sequence, the rest of the film looks clean and detailed with minimal film grain. The special effects also hold up really well as the Storms shoot lightning from their hands, or glowing beams of light protrude from Lo Pan’s mouth. The 5.1 soundtrack also sounds excellent, especially the score. It utilizes all channels nicely to add ambiance such as the sound of rain falling overhead, or during explosions and action sequences. The dialogue also remains clear throughout the film.

Shout! Factory’s Collector’s Edition is going to be a must-own for fans of the film. In addition to porting the copious amount of already existing bonus features from the previous DVD and Blu-ray releases (some of which weren’t previously available in the U.S.), the company has also provided over 4 hours of brand new retrospective interviews with the cast and filmmakers! I found a lot of these interviews to be fascinating, especially hearing about the evolution of the script. The participants are very candid and straight-forward and don’t really hold back when talking about the behind-the-scenes controversies surrounding the film.

The two-disc set is packed in a standard Blu-ray multi-disc keepcase with a slipcover. Like many other Shout Select releases, the insert inside the cover is reversible, giving the viewer a choice in how to display this title in his or her collection. The alternate view for this title can be seen below:



What’s Included:

Film: (1:39:49)

  • 1080p / Widescreen 2.35:1
  • Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 2.0 Dolby Surround
  • Subtitles: English SDH

Extras:
Most of the material on the first disc originally appeared on the 2001 DVD release and 2009 Blu-ray release. Almost all of the material on the second disc is brand new, though a few of the interviews originally appeared on the 2013 Arrow Blu-ray release, which was only available in the UK. Items marked as NEW are new to this Shout! Factory release

  • DISC ONE: THE FILM
    • NEW Audio Commentary With Producer Larry Franco (1:39:49)
      Justin Beahm of Reverend Entertainment moderates this brand new commentary with producer Larry Franco. They provide an interesting and informative look back at the film. The producer talks about his early work as an extra and how he got into film production, working with John Carpenter and Kurt Russell, and shares some behind-the-scenes stories about the production.
    • NEW Audio Commentary With Special Effects Artist Steve Johnson, Moderated By Filmmaker Anthony C. Ferrante (1:39:49)
      Filmmaker Anthony C. Ferrante (director of the Sharknado movies) moderates this commentary with special effects artist Steve Johnson, who talks about working with director John Carpenter, and shares some behind-the-scenes stories about working on the film and creating the effects.
    • Audio Commentary With Director John Carpenter And Actor Kurt Russell (1:39:49)
      Originally recorded for the 2001 DVD release, this is a really fun commentary with the director and star.
    • Isolated Score (1:39:49)
      Originally created for the 2009 Blu-ray release, watch the film without the dialogue just the score. It’s a little odd at times are there are some long scenes with no sound at all.
    • Theatrical Trailers (7:06)
      Two English-language trailers, one in widescreen and one in full frame, plus a Spanish-narrated trailer (using Spanish-captioned clips from the film).
    • TV Spots (3:09)
      Five TV spots for the film, presented in 4:3 format.
    • Vintage Audio Interview With John Carpenter (5:49)
      The director talks about the plot of the film, working with Kurt Russell, working with the same crew, the visual effects, creating the score, casting Kim Cattrall and Kate Burton, and more.
    • Electronic Press Kit (27:26)
      Vintage interviews and promotional featurettes for the film. Segments include “Kurt Russell Profile”, “John Carpenter Profile”, “Chinese Involvement and Influence”, and “Selected Soundbites”. Includes behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Kurt Russell (“Jack Burton”), director John Carpenter, Dennis Dun (“Wang Chi”), James Hong (“David Lo Pan”), Victor Wong (“Egg Shen”), Kim Cattrall (“Gracie Law”), visual effects producer Richard Edlund, costume designer April Ferry, and other cast and crew members. Presented in 4:3 format.
    • Gag Reel (2:56)
      Fun with the cast and crew on set.
    • Music Video (3:28)
      John Carpenter and the rest of The Coupe De Villes perform the title song for the film. Presented in 4:3 format.
    • Deleted Scenes
      Each scene is preceded by a text description of where it would have fit into the film, and why it was edited/cut. Select from the following eight scenes:

      • Airport (5:58/7:07)
        Offered in both Work Print and Video Tape format.
      • The Dragon of the Black Pool (2:27/4:29)
        Offered in both Work Print and Video Tape format.
      • The White Tiger (2:22/7:15)
        Offered in both Work Print and Video Tape format.
      • Gracie’s Office (3:46)
      • Thunder’s Tour (1:41)
      • Beneath Chinatown (2:27)
      • Lava Sequence (3:56)
      • Six Demon Bag (11:56)
    • Extended Ending (3:17)
      Jack gets even with the gang members who kidnapped Miao Yin; discovers some slime on the back of his truck before driving away.
    • Photo Galleries
      Collection of slideshows that auto-advance every 5 minutes, or can be manually advanced using the remote.

      • Movie Stills (6:39)
      • Posters and Lobby Cards (6:53)
      • Behind-the-Scenes (15:10)
  • DISC TWO: BONUS FEATURES
    • NEW You’re The Hero with Actor Dennis Dun (14:14)
      Star Dennis Dun (“Wang Chi”) talks about becoming an actor, auditioning for the role, working with John Carpenter, his character, the sets and effects, working with James Hong, the legacy of the film, and more.
    • NEW The Soul Of Lo Pan with Actor James Hong (23:57)
      Star James Hong (“David Lo Pan”) talks about his childhood, what he learned from Gene Wilder, moving to Los Angeles, getting more substantial roles for Asian actors, how get got the role as Lo Pan, playing 10 roles per year, the special effects, working with Carter Wong, getting special effects makeup from Steve Johnson, and more. This guy still looks so spry and young at 90 years old—he must be holding onto that Lo Pan curse!
    • NEW Able To Be Myself with Actor Donald Li (18:29)
      Actor Donald Li (“Eddie Lee”) talks about his early creative outlets, influences from Brando and DeNiro’s work, auditioning for Big Trouble, his character and how “Eddie” was really similar to himself, the sets, working with Kurt Russell, Dennis Dun, Victor Wong, and John Carpenter, seeing the final cut of the film, why it’s still so popular, and more.
    • NEW The Tao Of Thunder with Actor Carter Wong (25:47)
      Actor Carter Wong (“Thunder”) talks about his childhood and early martial arts training and work, the use of martial arts in movies, getting the role in Big Trouble, working with John Carpenter, Kurt Russell and James Hong, filming his explosion scene, seeing the finished film, and more.
    • NEW The Tao Of Rain with Actor Peter Kwong (28:34)
      Actor Peter Kwong (“Rain”) talks about how he was inspired by watching dance shows on TV and entering dance competitions, how he got into acting, learning martial arts, poor stereotypes on TV and open racism on sets, auditioning for the film, working with John Carpenter, cinematic martial arts, working with the costumes, weapons and creatures on the film, the legacy of the film, and more.
    • NEW The Hatchet Man Speaks with Actor Al Leong (6:32)
      Actor Al Leong (“Wing Kong Hatchet Man”) talks about moving from St. Louis to Los Angeles, training in martial arts, some issues he had on another film set, and working on Big Trouble and with John Carpenter.
    • NEW Damn Wilie Prescott and the Horse He Rode In On with Writer W.D. Richter (20:31)
      Writer W.D. Richter talks about the early version of the story where it was a western set in the late 19th century with the main character of Wilie Prescott, and getting the job doing a contemporary rewrite. He discusses creating the new character of Jack Burton, his inspirations for this nontraditional hero, and coming up with a nontraditional sidekick to balance him out. He also talks about working with John Carpenter, adding comedy to the film, the reactions upon the film’s release, and more.
    • NEW It Was A Western Ghost Story with Writer Gary Goldman (27:50)
      Writer Gary Goldman, talks about how he came to work on the film, and where the idea for the original script came from. He goes into detail on the original story and how it differed from the re-written script. He also talks about selling the script, rewriting the script, his thoughts on the finished film, and more.
    • NEW The Poetry Of Motion with Martial Arts Choreographer James Lew (35:01)
      Associate producer/martial arts choreographer James Lew talks about his early martial arts training and work, getting into movie-making, how he got involved with Big Trouble, creating storyboards, the weapons used in the film, choreographing and training the actors, working with John Carpenter, and more.
    • NEW Into The Mystic Night with The Coupe De Villes Member Nick Castle (12:35)
      The Coupe De Villes member Nick Castle talks about growing up with a father who was a choreographer, how he got into filmmaking, how the band got together and came up with their name, recording their first album, recording the title song and music video for the film, and more.
    • NEW Since We Were Kids with Second Unit Director/The Coupe De Villes Member Tommy Lee Wallace (28:51)
      Second unit director/The Coupe De Villes member Tommy Lee Wallace talks about how his friendship with John Carpenter formed over their mutual love of music, and how this led him to filmmaking. He talks about what he learned from John, the various bands they formed, moving out to California, his work as 2nd unit director on the film, recording the title song for the film, and more.
    • NEW Love And Art with Movie Poster Artist Drew Struzan (17:04)
      Movie poster artist Drew Struzan talks about how he got into drawing at an early age, going to art school, getting involved with the record studios, creating the Star Wars poster, working on the poster for Big Trouble, and more.
    • Return To Little China with Director John Carpenter (12:14)
      Director John Carpenter talks about how he got involved with the film, his love of Kung Fu movies, the unpleasant studio notes and reaction, the prologue he was forced to shoot, working with Kurt Russell, Dennis Dun and Kim Cattrall and James Hong, the sets, scoring the film, creating the title credits song and video, the initial reactions, and more. Originally recorded for the Arrow’s 2013 UK Blu-ray release.
    • Being Jack Burton with Actor Kurt Russell (20:57)
      In this 2013 interview, star Kurt Russell talks about how his friendship with John Carpenter started on the set of Elvis and the series of collaborations that followed. He then discusses the character of Jack Burton, the fun he had working on the film, how it was a truly collaborative experience with the director, the amazing supporting cast, the disappointing release campaign, the cult audience, and more. Originally recorded for the Arrow’s 2013 UK Blu-ray release.
    • Carpenter & I with Director Of Photography Dean Cundey (15:38)
      Director of photography Dean Cundey talks about working with John Carpenter on Halloween and other projects, how he got involved with Big Trouble, creating an American Kung Fu movie, the set design and special effects, working with Kurt Russell, the studio reaction, and more. Originally recorded for the Arrow’s 2013 UK Blu-ray release.
    • Producing Big Trouble with Producer Larry Franco (15:21)
      Producer Larry Franco talks about how his working relationship with John Carpenter started with the Elvis movie, and the various projects they worked on together. He also shares stories about the casting of the three Storms, the issues from the executive screening, John’s exit from the studio system, and more. Originally recorded for the Arrow’s 2013 UK Blu-ray release.
    • Staging Big Trouble with Stuntman Jeff Imada (12:29)
      Stuntman Jeff Imada talks about his martial arts training, pursuing acting, and how he got into stunts. He also discusses how he got involved with Big Trouble, the styles of fighting used, working with Kurt Russell, Dennis Dun & James Hong, the poor marketing of the film, and more. Originally recorded for the Arrow’s 2013 UK Blu-ray release.
    • Visual Effects Artist Richard Edlund (13:25)
      Originally produced for the 2001 DVD, visual effects artist Richard Edlund talks about how some of the film’s effects were created, such as James Hong’s makeup, the floating eyeball creature, the sewer monster, and other creatures. Behind-the-scenes photos related to what he is talking about appear in the corner of the screen. In the original DVD version of this feature, the angle button could be used to expand these photos, but that option is not available on this Blu-ray.
    • Vintage Featurette (7:26)
      Vintage promotional featurette that features behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with director John Carpenter, visual effects artist Richard Edlund, costume designer April Ferry, and stars Kurt Russell, Dennis Dun, Kim Cattrall and James Hong. Much of the same interview footage is also included in the EPK on disc one. Presented in 4:3 format.

 


Final Thoughts:

My Rating
Film:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Highly Recommended
Must Own for Fans

Big Trouble in Little China is still as fresh and fun 34 years later, and the film looks and sounds better than ever thanks to Shout! Factory’s new two-disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray. This release is a must-own for any fan of the movie as it contains a plethora of previously-released bonus material as well as over 4 hours of brand new retrospective interviews with the cast and filmmakers! For folks unfamiliar with the film, this release still comes highly recommended based on the shear fun of this action-comedy that features the charming Kurt Russell in one of his most iconic roles.