History YMMV / BigTroubleInLittleChina

* EnsembleDarkhorse: The Three Storms, Lightning in particular for being the inspiration for [[Videogame/MortalKombat Raiden.]]

* SocietyMarchesOn: Imagine the thug pulling out the revolver in an airport nowadays. There'd be a whole army of police on him in an instant.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: In the [[ComicBook/BigTroubleInLittleChina comic book series]]. The new villain kidnaps Wang Chi but leaves Miao Yin behind. You'd think maybe this bit of SwappedRoles for the two would allow her to travel with Jack to get her fiancee back, allowing the writers to give the SatelliteLoveInterest from the movie a little bit of CharacterDevelopment. You'd think that... but you'd be wrong.

--> TsuiHark's {{Wuxia}} [[GenreTurningPoint game-changer]] ''Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain'' (1982) exists as a reference at this point, along with such early kung fu ghost comedies as ''Close Encounters of the Spooky Kind'' (1980, Creator/SammoHung) and ''The Dead and the Deadly'' (1982, Wu Ma). But as the film is being written (...) most of the HK supernatural fu classics have yet to be made. No ''MrVampire'' (q.v.), no ''AChineseGhostStory'' (q.v.), no ''The Swordsman'' (1990, credited to King Hu). The western fandom for HK films extant in 1986 revolves around Creator/BruceLee, Creator/ShawBrothers [[ChopSockey Chop Socky]], and real-world martial arts practice. It sure isn't ready for lightning-throwing warriors or ghostly sorcerors. Accordingly, ''Big Trouble'' flops on its theatrical release, joining the roster of [[CultClassic fan favourites that slowly grows its popularity on home video.]]

* EnsembleDarkhorse: The Three Storms, Lightning in particular for being the inspiration for [[MortalKombat Raiden.]]

* HilariousInHindsight: Or, possible, Awesome In Hindsight, with Lightning, a predecessor to Raiden of ''MortalKombat'', complete with NiceHat. Kitana's famous KissOfDeath fatality also references [[spoiler: Thunder's death]] very closely.
** Similarly, Rain of the same series not only uses water, but ended up gaining a ponytail and sword-fighting skills to better resemble Rain of the Three Storms. He even gained a fatality in ''MK9'' referencing [[spoiler: Thunder's death!]]

* SocietyMarchesOn: Imagine the thug pulling out the revolver in an airport nowadays. There'd be a whole army of TSA agents on him in an instant.

** Despite how incredibly fake and stupid it is, [[spoiler: Thunder blowing up like a balloon]] somehow works because of how funny it is.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D03E9kUTTtQ Biiiiig trouble...In little China!]]
** Some of the other music ain't that bad either, with the main title, alley fight and Wing Kong Exchange themes being notable highlights.

* MagnificentBastard: David Lo Pan [[MemeticMutation indeed!]]

* BrokenBase: [[http://www.thewrap.com/dwayne-the-rock-johnson-to-star-in-big-trouble-in-little-china-remake-exclusive/ The remake]] is set to star Wrestling/DwayneJohnson.

--> TsuiHark's {{Wuxia}} [[GenreTurningPoint game-changer]] ''Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain'' (1982) exists as a reference at this point, along with such early kung fu ghost comedies as ''Close Encounters of the Spooky Kind'' (1980, SammoHung) and ''The Dead and the Deadly'' (1982, Wu Ma). But as the film is being written (...) most of the HK supernatural fu classics have yet to be made. No ''MrVampire'' (q.v.), no ''AChineseGhostStory'' (q.v.), no ''The Swordsman'' (1990, credited to King Hu). The western fandom for HK films extant in 1986 revolves around Creator/BruceLee, Creator/ShawBrothers [[ChopSockey Chop Socky]], and real-world martial arts practice. It sure isn't ready for lightning-throwing warriors or ghostly sorcerors. Accordingly, ''Big Trouble'' flops on its theatrical release, joining the roster of [[CultClassic fan favourites that slowly grows its popularity on home video.]]

* SpecialEffectsFailure: Given the movie is a parody of magical martial arts movies, some of it is bound to be intentional.
** [[spoiler: Thunder's]] mentioned explosion.
** The monsters aren't very realistic looking and are obvious effects/men in suits.
** There are neither bullet holes nor blood when people get shot.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: In the [[ComicBook/BigTroubleInLittleChina comic book series]]. The new villain kidnaps Wang Chi but leaves Miao Yin behind. You'd think maybe this bit of SwappedRoles for the two would allow her to travel with Jack to get her fiancee back, allowing the writers to give the ShallowLoveInterest from the movie a little bit of CharacterDevelopment. You'd think that... but you'd be wrong.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: The... THING in the sewer. The only one who questions what the hell just happened is Jack, because RuleOfFunny.

* CultClassic

* VindicatedByHistory: Despite a positive test-screening, the movie bombed at the box office ([[ScrewedByTheNetwork no doubt due to 20th Century Fox's other film]] ''Aliens'' [[WhatAnIdiot being released the next week]]) and critical opinions were negative enough to make Carpenter leave studio film work. Nowadays it's considered one of his best films by fans and critics alike.

--> TsuiHark's {{Wuxia}} [[GenreTurningPoint game-changer]] ''Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain'' (1982) exists as a reference at this point, along with such early kung fu ghost comedies as ''Close Encounters of the Spooky Kind'' (1980, SammoHung) and ''The Dead and the Deadly'' (1982, Wu Ma). But as the film is being written (...) most of the HK supernatural fu classics have yet to be made. No ''MrVampire'' (q.v.), no ''AChineseGhostStory'' (q.v.), no ''The Swordsman'' (1990, credited to King Hu). The western fandom for HK films extant in 1986 revolves around BruceLee, Creator/ShawBrothers [[ChopSockey Chop Socky]], and real-world martial arts practice. It sure isn't ready for lightning-throwing warriors or ghostly sorcerors. Accordingly, ''Big Trouble'' flops on its theatrical release, joining the roster of [[CultClassic fan favourites that slowly grows its popularity on home video.]]

--> TsuiHark's {{Wuxia}} [[GenreTurningPoint game-changer]] ''Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain'' (1982) exists as a reference at this point, along with such early kung fu ghost comedies as ''Close Encounters of the Spooky Kind'' (1980, SammoHung) and ''The Dead and the Deadly'' (1982, Wu Ma). But as the film is being written (...) most of the HK supernatural fu classics have yet to be made. No ''MrVampire'' (q.v.), no ''AChineseGhostStory'' (q.v.), no ''The Swordsman'' (1990, credited to King Hu). The western fandom for HK films extant in 1986 revolves around BruceLee, Creator/ShawBrothers [=ChopSocky=], and real-world martial arts practice. It sure isn't ready for lightning-throwing warriors or ghostly sorcerors. Accordingly, ''Big Trouble'' flops on its theatrical release, joining the roster of [[CultClassic fan favourites that slowly grows its popularity on home video.]]

--> TsuiHark's {{Wuxia}} [[GenreTurningPoint game-changer]] ''Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain'' (1982) exists as a reference at this point, along with such early kung fu ghost comedies as ''Close Encounters of the Spooky Kind'' (1980, SammoHung) and ''The Dead and the Deadly'' (1982, Wu Ma). But as the film is being written (...) most of the HK supernatural fu classics have yet to be made. No ''MrVampire'' (q.v.), no ''AChineseGhostStory'' (q.v.), no ''The Swordsman'' (1990, credited to King Hu). The western fandom for HK films extant in 1986 revolves around BruceLee, Creator/ShawBrothers ChopSocky, and real-world martial arts practice. It sure isn't ready for lightning-throwing warriors or ghostly sorcerors. Accordingly, ''Big Trouble'' flops on its theatrical release, joining the roster of [[CultClassic fan favourites that slowly grows its popularity on home video.]]

--> TsuiHark's {{Wuxia}} [[GenreTurningPoint game-changer]] ''Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain'' (1982) exists as a reference at this point, along with such early kung fu ghost comedies as ''Close Encounters of the Spooky Kind'' (1980, SammoHung) and ''The Dead and the Deadly'' (1982, Wu Ma). But as the film is being written (...) most of the HK supernatural fu classics have yet to be made. No ''MrVampire'' (q.v.), no ''AChineseGhostStory'' (q.v.), no ''The Swordsman'' (1990, credited to King Hu). The western fandom for HK films extant in 1986 revolves around BruceLee, ShawBrothers ChopSocky, and real-world martial arts practice. It sure isn't ready for lightning-throwing warriors or ghostly sorcerors. Accordingly, ''Big Trouble'' flops on its theatrical release, joining the roster of [[CultClassic fan favourites that slowly grows its popularity on home video.]]

* VindicatedByHistory: Despite a positive test-screening, the movie bombed at the box office ([[ScrewedByTheNetwork No doubt due to 20th Century Fox's other film]] ''Aliens'' [[WhatAnIdiot being released the next week.]]) and critical opinions were negative enough to make Carpenter leave studio film work. Nowadays it's considered one of his best films by fans and critics alike.

** [[spoiler: Thunder's death where he inflates.]] is often considered one of the goofier movie deaths.

* TearJerkers: Issue 4's revelation about the ''first'' Mrs. Burton is actually surprisingly sweet, and sad.