The Movie
I seem to recall that audiences didn't know quite what to make of John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China way back in the innocent summer of 1986. The renowned horror director took a detour into the kung fu/fantasy/comedy genre... well actually, he invented it with this offbeat, sometimes outright weird tale of Jack Burton, a trucker with delusions of John Wayne (frequent Carpenter collaborator Kurt Russell) swept into an ancient conflict between Chinese mystics. Seems that his pal's bride-to-be has been kidnapped by a Chinatown gang, to be used as a human sacrifice that will turn an evil wizard human, and the brave lug can't resist the chance to help with the rescue, which soon turns into a showdown between the forces of good and not-so-good.
The movie predates the fantastical antics of Jet Li and Zhang Ziyi, and so the images of martial artists defying gravity and other laws of physics were hard to swallow. And in the midst of all the extreme action, the subtle humor might be lost on some, but watching it again through modern eyes I can appreciate the loyal fan following that Big Trouble in Little China has earned, if only for its spirit of sheer fun.
The Picture
Carpenter loves a wide screen, and Big Trouble in Little China is no exception, framed at 2.35:1. The picture is grainy at times but never obnoxiously so, although occasionally a shot can be a little too soft. Even smoky or misty scenes typically surrender ample detail though, and the overall look is extremely natural and inviting, a definite step up from the special edition DVD that this Blu-ray replicates. Fleshtones are outstanding, and but for the occasional telltale matte line, the old-school special effects reproduce beautifully in HD. Darker scenes and backgrounds can be tough however, and blacks are problematic, as when Kurt Russell's hair (which isn't even that dark) can just disappear seamlessly into the shadows behind him.
The Sound
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 remaster is happily peppy. The rumble of Jack's truck engine will certainly bring your subwoofer to life, as will the booming thunder, which is joined by 360-degree rain. The surrounds are also called into battle for the multichannel remix of a firefight between to two gangs in an alleyway, and later as they run shouting into one another. The "magical" elements of the story have lots of low-end kick, and an over-the-top, almost sonically cartoonish edge. I noted a pleasant spaciousness and detail to the music, which is also available in its own isolated DTS-HD MA 5.1 score track
The Extras
Another channel serves up the audio commentary from director John Carpenter and star Kurt Russell. It's always a hoot when these two get together, so I encourage you to listen in. The eight deleted scenes vary in quality, owing to the spotty availability of acceptable source materials, and in some cases we can select between shorter, better-looking workprint cuts or longer, complete versions of sequences transferred from video. An extended version of the ending is three minutes long, a vintage behind-the-scenes featurette runs seven-and-a-half minutes, and the music video for the title song by John Carpenter's band The Coupe De Villes lasts three-and-a-half minutes.
The interview with visual effects producer Richard Edlund can be enjoyed from one of two angles, either Edlund onscreen with behind-the-scenes still photos, or just the photos full-frame (13-and-ahalf minutes). A separate slideshow still gallery plays on its own, running 17-and-a-half minutes. All of the bonus material here is in standard definition. The one Easter egg I could find wasn't much of a an Easter egg, rather a little fortune cookie in the main menu, randomly offering up pearls of wisdom culled from the movie: "You Never Know Until You Try," "The Check Is in the Mail," "It's All in the Reflexes."
Final Thoughts
Big Trouble in Little China is the kind of goofy entertainment that no one really makes these days, asking our indulgence as it strikes its own unique tone, without ever once crossing into the overt stupidity of today's goofy entertainment. With better-than-expected picture and sound plus some enjoyable archival extras, China might provide the perfect weekend getaway.
Product Details
- Actors: Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, James Hong, Victor Wong, Kate Burton, Donald Li, Carter Wong, Peter Kwong, James Pax, Suzee Pai
- Director: John Carpenter
- Audio Format/Languages: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English, Isolated Musical Score), DTS 5.1 (Russian), Dolby Digital 5.1 (French, Spanish, Portuguese), Dolby Digital 2.0 (English), Stereo (Thai)
- Subtitles: English SDH, Portuguese, Portuguese Text, Cantonese, Korean, French Text, Russian, Russian Text, Russian Commentary, Spanish, Spanish Text, Mandarin, Thai
- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Rating: PG-13
- Studio: Fox
- Release Date: August 4, 2009
- Run Time: 100 minutes
- List Price: $29.99
- Extras:
- Audio commentary by John Carpenter and Kurt Russell
- Isolated Score in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Deleted Scenes
- Extended Ending
- Vintage Featurette
- Coupe De Villes Music Video
- Richard Edlund Interview
- Behind the Scenes Gallery
