History Film / BigTroubleInLittleChina

[[caption-width-right:350:"You people sit tight, hold the fort, and keep the home fires burning, and if we're not back by dawn... call the president."]]

* MookLieutenant: One unnamed Wing Kong member (credited as "Hatchet Man", played by Al Leong) acts as the gang's leader, and is also shown [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking fighting]].

Don't confuse this with ''Film/{{Chinatown}}''. {{Hilarity|Ensues}} will ''[[TearJerker not]]'' ensue.

Creator/KurtRussell is Jack Burton, a long-haul trucker with a penchant for making soliloquies over the CB. He's in UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco's [[FriendlyLocalChinatown Chinatown]] to meet his buddy Wang Chi (Creator/DennisDun) and pick up Wang's fiancee Miao Yin (Creator/SuzeePai) from the airport, but EvilSorcerer David Lo Pan (Creator/JamesHong) kidnaps her with the help of his Wing Kong street gang and his henchmen, the Three Storms.

* DualWielding: Each of the Three Storms wield a pair of weapons in the alleyway skirmish; Thunder has a pair of knives, Rain has two rakes, and Lighting has spoons on his fingers that [[SpectacularSpinning spin]].

* DualWielding: Each of the Three Storms wield a pair of weapons in the alleyway skirmish; Thunder has a pair of knives, Rain has two rakes, and Lighting has spoons on his fingers that [[EverythingsBetterWithSpinning spin]].

* NiceHat
** Lo Pan has an ''extremely'' nice hat when in his IntangibleMan ghost form.
** The Storms' wickerwork hats are rather nice also, as the brims' weave is loose enough that they can see through it.

''Big Trouble In Little China'' is an martial arts fantasy action-comedy film directed by Creator/JohnCarpenter and written by W.D. Richter (of ''[[Film/TheAdventuresOfBuckarooBanzaiAcrossThe8thDimension Buckaroo Banzai]]'' notoriety) and released in 1986.

''Big Trouble In Little China'' is one of Creator/JohnCarpenter's greatest films, written by W.D. Richter (of ''[[Film/TheAdventuresOfBuckarooBanzaiAcrossThe8thDimension Buckaroo Banzai]]'' notoriety) and released in 1986.

* RedshirtArmy: A squad of Chang Sing warriors provide the muscle as Jack, Wang, and Egg Chen storm Lo Pan's wedding.

* RedshirtArmy: A squadron of Chang Sing warriors provide the muscle as Jack, Wang, and Egg Chen storm Lo Pan's wedding. Only the heroes are shown escaping and whether the Chang Sings all perished in the melee or escaped the lair through alternate means is [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse never explained.]]
** The Chang Sings are shown standing behind Egg Shen after the climactic battle as he blows up the statue in Lo Pan's temple. See WhatHappenedToTheMouse below for a theory.

* BetaCouple: Margo and Eddie spend a fair chunk of the film [[ShipperOnDeck shipping]] Jack and Gracie, which naturally leads to them hooking up themselves. Ironic because Jack himself ends up shipping Margo and Eddie to keep them out of the way and safe while He and Wang are StormingTheCastle.

* ProphecyTwist: Lo Pan attempts to pull this by marrying two women in his secret ceremony. There's also the fact Gracie Law, as a woman of mixed heritage (implied more than shown since her actress is not), qualifies for the ceremony requiring a Chinese woman of green eyes.

* HeroTrackingFailure: When the security guards are shooting at Jack. If one looks closely, a charge explodes just next to Jack's head. This was not done on purpose. Apparently, the special effects technician set the charges to go off too soon, nearly resulting in Creator/KurtRussell being injured. Of course they decided to ThrowItIn anyway.

* NoSell: Jack punches Rain square on the jaw. Twice. To absolutely no effect. In fact, Rain doesn't even ''blink'' when he's hit. Jack then gives a hilarious OhCrapSmile a split second before Rain clobbers him in response.

** After the final battle and with the Wing Kong gang wiped out, the Chang Sings vanish from the story. Likely they simply escaped victorious while Egg Shen stayed behind to find the heroes.