Lo Pan and the Three Storms

About Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China (1986) is a deliberate subversion of the action hero archetype—Kurt Russell’s Jack Burton thinks he’s the hero but is actually the bumbling sidekick, while Dennis Dun’s Wang Chi is the real martial arts protagonist. The film blends wuxia fantasy, Hong Kong action cinema, and American comedy in a way that confused audiences and critics upon release, leading to a devastating box office failure that effectively ended Carpenter’s run of studio filmmaking. James Hong’s unforgettable performance as the 2,000-year-old sorcerer Lo Pan required hours of makeup for his decrepit form, while his young incarnation was achieved through what were then cutting-edge visual effects. Now considered one of the greatest cult films ever made, the movie’s influence can be seen in everything from Mortal Kombat to Marvel’s approach to mixing humor with supernatural action.