They were probably also inspired by the Thunder god Raiden from Chinese Mythology. Since he's more of a demonic entity who bangs a flaming drum to make the thunder rumble they probably copied the look from this film.
Loved that line...great line for life's questions when folks think they should get or have all the answers of life..and there is the sexual obvious implications of that line lol.
Shan: "I feel like Wang was the main protagonist, and Jack was the side kick, but the movie is show from Jack's perspective". Me: "Finally ..... Someone who gets it!"
@@ShanWatchesMovies Shan if you like John Carpenter movies you need to watch John Carpenter's vampires I haven't seen all reactors on RU-vid but as far as I know no one has covered John Carpenter's vampires!
The two things love about this movie are the fact everyone seem to be having a great time and Kurt Russell is playing Jack Burton as a parody of an 80's action hero,the guy who in any other movie would be the man focus, but in this one plays the sidekick role who is kind of dumb.
@@Jameson_Visual_Arts_Studios Not a beholder. Beholders are hyper-intelligent beings with an array of magical offensive powers. This creature was obviously meant to be a simple extension of Lo Pan's sight... a magical means to see elsewhere before cameras were invented. In D&D terms, you could think of it either as a living manifestation of the Wizard Eye spell, or a creature in line with familiars and homunculi... a created creature serving as a magical tool for a mage. If I HAD to rule, I'd classify it as a familiar.
Best lines ever... Aren't you going to kiss her? No. This movie's totally over the top and it doesn't hide it. Jack's the hero, but he also isn't. He's a legend in his own mind. How many movies are an action adventure/rom-com/Chinese kung fu/thriller.... you get the gist. It hits so many genres that the money men didn't know how to promote it and it hurt the movie. I love this movie. It's so over the top and like you said, just plain fun.
You're forgetting Jack grabbed the bottle in mid air with his cat reflexes at the beginning of the film, the ending is the same, he catched the knife when it was thrown to him.
@@anothermonday5664 he didn't mention it in the reaction so he brought it up.was a good point....but a rather poor attempted sarcasm from you I thought
I absolutely LOVE this movie. It's such a brilliant twist to make the main character the sidekick, and he doesn't even realise it. EDIT: I just got to the end of your review, and I seem to have echoed your thoughts. Nice!
"this Lo Pan character comes out of thin air in the middle of a goddamn 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 coming out of his mouth!" This movie is so damn quotable! Plus very rewatchable, I never get tired of this classic.
One of my all time favorite films..so glad we got a reaction to this movie..Good ole Jack Burton stumbling his way through as a fish out of water character and his boy Wang being the MC and the gag is nobody clues jack in on it. Love it.
You are correct! One of the Three Storms who goes by the name of Lightning (you can guess which one it is) was confirmed to be inspiration for Raiden in Mortal Kombat. More than that Lo Peng was inspiration for Shang Tsung too. And now that I think bout it Rain (flying Storm with swords) was probably inspiration for Fujin later one. Not to mention Jack having some similarities with Johnny Cage and less so Liu Kang with Wang. This movie was one of the reason MK is what it is now along with Bloodsport.
@@ShanWatchesMovies Bloodshot is kind of a last epitaph to Kowloon Walled City. It's one of the cool things I learned about it long after I'd first watched it in the 90s.
This is one of my favorites. Carpenter, the cast, and crew all knew just what kind of film they were making and everybody went all in. My favorite parts may be all of Burton's little monologues. Which actually have some decent advice buried in all the nonsense. As you said, it's just a fun movie. It's not meant to be taken too seriously and it doesn't take itself too seriously. Also, I seriously miss lightning effects like the ones in this movie.
You should check out : the golden child .. eddy murphy movie. Btw , those 2 asian actors were also in a john carpenter horror movie. I believe it called " prince of darkness "
The studio forced John Carpenter to put in the very first scene in the movie. He also talked about how it is inconsistent and doesn't make sense where Egg says that Jack was a hero. John Carpenter said no, Jack was an idiot. A large portion of the budget went to creating the floating eyeball head and it took an insane amount of time to make.
Same. Hope to see Escape from New York in the possible future. Believe it or not, there is a comic out there containing the ULTIMATE crossover team-up of Snake Plissken and Jack Burton.
Sadly Escape From L.A is so bad it's hard to believe it's from the same guy who did EFNY. After 95' Carpenter just wasn't able to recapture his magic. Carpenter was disillusioned with the entire studio system and it shows. After In The Mouth Of Madness it's all downhill from there.
The Dennis Dun character *is* the protagonist. Much of the humor comes from Jack being the sidekick but thinks he's the hero. Also, Kurt Russell played Jack Burton by doing his John Wayne impression for the film. The actress who played Gracie is Kim Cattrall; you might recognize her from Sex in the City.
And John Wayne met Wyatt Earp in real life and developed his screen persona imitating him. So Russel is impersonating Wayne, who was impersonating Earp, who Russell played in Tombstone.
the guys who made MK took the ideas of hte storms and Lo Pan as inspiration for Raiden and Shang Tsung. Wang may have been the inspiration for Lui Kang
I haven seen the reaction but I'm looking forward to it! I'm at work right now boooo I'll watch it when I get out. Keep it up brother, I enjoy your reactions.
That’s an interesting interpretation. I’ve never considered before that BTLC could be a sidekick’s tale. Makes sense in retrospect, right down to his last interaction with Gracie Law. Wang lived happily ever after with the girl, not Jack.
In John Carpenter's DVD commentary for BTLC he explicitly says that Jack Burton is a sidekick. He's even sidelined through most of the fights. He gets one hero moment at the end, but that's it.
"Prince of Darkness' - also by Carpenter, also featuring Dennis Dun and Victor Wong. An underrated partly tongue-in-cheek, but still quite creepy, horror film.
Glad you enjoyed 'Big Trouble In Little China,' Shan. It's one of my all-time favorite Carpenter films. Now, from what I remember in an interview I read sometime in the late 90's, Ed Boon and John Tobias were inspired by four films for the creation of 'Mortal Kombat.' Bruce Lee's 'Enter The Dragon' and 'Game Of Death,' 'Bloodsport,' starring Jean-Claude Van Damme (a movie I highly recommend you see if you haven't), and 'Big Trouble In Little China.' So yes, Raiden's inspiration was taken from Carpenter's movie.
Yes, the Mortal Kombat video game came out in the early 1990s and did take inspiration from Big Trouble In Little China, along with Bloodsport and Enter The Dragon. Raiden was inspired by the Three Storms.
The choreographer of Big Trouble in Little China is James Lew. He has made over 80 on-screen film and television appearances and 46 more as a stunt coordinator or stunt double. Besides Big Trouble in Little China he has had rules in and done choreography for movies like Action Jackson (with Carl Weathers), Showdown in Little Tokyo, and Rapid Fire (both starting Bruce Lee's son Brandon Lee), and Rush Hour 1, 2, and 3 as well as television shows such as National Geographic's Fight Science, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, and Entourage. He practices Shaolin Kung-Fu, Tae Kwon Do, Jeet Kune Do, Hapkido, and Boxing.
First off, I love this movie! Saw it 50 times on HBO growing up, and I didn't realize until Carpenter and Russell said on the commentary track that Russell was the side kick. You do a fantastic job, Sir!
This is one of my favorite movies. I got it on VHS when I was a kid along with Chuck Norris and Luis Gosset Jr. in Firewalker. I found them at a going out of business sale for a video store. My mom would only let me get two. I picked Big Trouble in Little China because of the cover art. When I was a kid I wore those VHS out. I knew of very few people who had seen this film. I've watched it all through my life. There is a lot of nostalgia here for me. I enjoyed the video immensely.
I'm so glad someone reacted to this. This has always been one of my all time favorite films. This and "Escape from LA" & "Escape from New York". Both also staring Kurt Russell. Because Kurt Russell is one of the best yet underrated actors ever.
The antagonist is played by James Hong, who just received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 93 years old, 70 years working as an actor, over 700 roles, and he still remembers every line of dialogue. The actress you're trying to place is Kim Cattrall, most famous for Samantha in the "Sex and the City" TV & film franchise. She also starred in 1987's "Mannequin" and 1991's "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country". "Mannequin" is worth a look, if you like cheesy 80s fantasy/romcom. I would call it "Weird Science" lite. I'm good with how Lo Peng dies. It harkens back to the beginning of the film, letting Russell's character apply his best superpower: 'reflexes'. Jack ain't too smart, he ain't too fight-capable, but he can certainly catch things. Having a do-over lets him take out the now corporeal Lo Peng, cutting short all the elaborate sorcery crap Lo Peng had been using. No, I'm good. As always, great reaction!
The greatest joke in the movie is outside of the one thing he does towards the end of the movie, Jack Burton is basically useless. I got that first on first view and have loved this movie ever since. I'm surprised Dennis Dun wasn't in a ton of movies after this.
Great review, glad you enjoyed it! This is my favorite cult classic just behind Escape From New York (another collaboration with Russell and Carpenter), and if you review the latter, I'm certain you'll absolutely love it! Take care, thanks!
I love this film. It wasn't a big commercial success when it was released, but it soon picked up quite a cult following just for sheer weirdness and a cool factor that's off the scale.
Lmao, love the shot of Jack shooting into the air and knocking himself out. The Three Storms were the inspiration for the design of Raiden. Theres actually a follow up comic that says what happens after Jack leaves. That monster is now bound to serve him because he defeated Lo Pan.
Jack is basically plays the Mad Max character, a normal guy with limited skills caught up in an extraordinary situation and must figure a way out of it with help from characters that understand the reasons behind the situation. Mad Max just like Jack Burton never expected any of the mess they got involved in. I watched this movie, Romancing the Stone and Back to the Future when I was a kid with my friends anytime we all were allowed to watch movies, usually when the weather was inclement as when we were kids we spent all day outside. No cellphones, no internet just pure freedom, I miss that feeling so much. The good ol' days!
Jack Burton here was a big inspiration for how Chris Pratt played Star Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy. Which is one of the reasons Russell played Star Lord's dad in the sequel
This is me and my brother's (8 years apart) favorite film. This is the first time I've watched a reactor who got the point of the film, This was a fun watch, and exciting to see someone who "Got it" ^_^ Great video, Brother!
SHAN! Yes! One of my all-time favorite films, having grown up in the Bay Area and loving weird ass pulp films! Also, Raiden was based on that member of the Three Storms - they've never denied it, and kind of excitedly lean into it.
Thank you for describing it as a pulp film! That was the word I was looking for when writing the review and it just didn't come to me. The word encapsulates the film perfectly!
Just discovered your channel and I really appreciate your review of this underappreciated movie! PS as The son of someone who was in video productions I appreciate you taking the time to point out and praise some of the better effects in this movie
Yes, one of the best things about this movie is that Jack is the sidekick who's in over his head. However, he does have ONE useful skill, his excellent reflexes. This is one my favorite movie.
In "Escape from New York," Kurt adopted a Clint Eastwood impression. In this movie, he went with John Wayne. In "Blade Runner", James Hong played a character who made specific Nexus 6 Replicant eyes. In this movie, he played Lo Pan, obsessing for girls with green eyes.
I have little to add, except that John Carpenter is a great movie maker. The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, Escape from New York, They live, The Fog and so on. Bu if you want to see true budget wizardry? You'll have to discover Roger Corman. It's been said that Corman can make a movie about the fall of the Roman Empire with the change he finds under the couch. While that is over the top, you have to go that far to be over the top with what he does with his budgets. In any case, have fun with the other John Carpenter movies..
Please do two more Carpenter films next. You need to watch the other parts of his "Apocalypse" trillogy. The Thing is the first movie, being heavy science/sci-fi. The Second The Prince of Darkness is a good mix of both science and supernatural. While the last one In the Mouth of Madness is considered by many to be one of if not THE best HP Lovecraft style movie, being heavily cosmic horror.
'The Actress' later became famous for her role in Sex and the city. :) The Mortal Kombat character comes from this movie, the three storms are Carpenters creation. :)
Yes, Boon and Tobias got the idea for Raiden from this movie. I remember reading about it in a video game magazine back in the early 90's. Also, the old and young Shang Tsung idea was pulled from Lo-Pan. They pulled from other movies as well. I forget the name of them.
2:03 You caught that Shan! The studio heads were confused about the movie and did not understand Carpenter's vision of showing Jack as a bumbling sidekick to Wang. They wanted Kurt Russell's character to be the main protagonist like Indiana Jones. Carpenter added the intro scene just to silence the studio bosses. To the real John Carpenter's fan, the movie begins on the road with Jack in his truck! Thanks for the post... I love this movie
Carpenter confirmed in the audio commentary for this film that he intended Jack to be a "Protagonist that acts like a sidekick" and Wang to be "a sidekick that acts like the protagonist". It's really effective and a great choice.
This is one of my all time favorite movies! It's one of the few "scary" films I liked as a kid. As I haven't seen it in a few years, I can't wait to rewatch it along with your full review on Patreon.
This is one of my favorite movies. I grew up on it and I probably watched it like a thousand times. Carpenter did intend that Wang would be the lead character, but in my opinion, he didn't accomplish this. I feel like when you are watching the film, it's Jack that you are following in this adventure. He's the relatable, underdog type character meeting up with these other characters and seeing the adventure through his eyes. Kurt was just too good of a charismatic actor at the time.
Kurt Russel was tagged to play Nada in John Carpenter's They Live but John wanted a different actor because the two of them worked together before and he didn't want to be the director who only used one lead actor in all his movies so they hired Roddy Piper which led to one of the most famous ad-libbed lines in cinema; "I've come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass...and I'm all out of bubblegum." They Live should be on your Reactions List.
China is here, Mr. Burton. What is that? China is here? I don't even know what the hell that means! All I know is that this guy Lo Pan shows up the middle of a god-damned alley, with his buddies on wires cutting everybody to shreds, and he just stands there, expects me to drive my truck straight through him, with light coming out of his mouth!? Lol! He said that without missing a beat.
I would say Big Trouble in Little China and Mortal Kombat took inspiration from characters in Japanese Samurai movies like Lone Wolf and Cub series from the 70's where one movie has three assassins who all wear similar hats. I suggest the American amalgamation of the first two films Shogun Assassin. Or better yet start with Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (83/90 on Rotten Tomatoes) The sets, costuming, and sword work will amaze you.
Childhood favorite. Yes, Jack is definitely the sidekick but portrayed as a main character. This movie is just pure fun and not meant to be taken seriously. My favorite Kurt Russel role for sure.
This is one of my favorite movies ever. Never have been able to put my finger exactly on why. Maybe just its because it doesn't take itself too seriously but it's just overall such a fun movie.
Your break down the movies I love are always on point. I think you need to watch The Golden Child. It was a similar fantasy film that came out the same year staring Eddie Murphy. Three Asian actors appear in both films in prominent roles. They seemed to be having more fun in Big Trouble. It would be interesting to get your take. Besides that much respect, love to you and your family and all the best for the new year!
When you say Lo Pan was defeated too easily, I think you are forgetting that Carpenter set this up with the 'bottle catching' scene earlier on, where Jack replies saying: "It's all in the reflexes" As an owner of a knife it would then be second nature to 'catch and throw' as he did. Just my thoughts on the issue! Nice reaction Shan! Great movie...one not to be taken TOO seriously of curse (Course), pun intended!.
I saw this as a kid but never realized it was directed by John Carpenter. BTW I've been binging your movie reactions and really enjoy your technical point of view, great videos man.
