Big Trouble in Little China [Blu-ray]
by John Carpenter
![Big Trouble in Little China [Blu-ray]](/images/Big-Trouble-in-Little-China-Blu-ray-B0028ZDJF8-L.jpg)
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Blu-ray details
Actor: Dennis Dun, James Hong, Kim Cattrall, Kurt Russell, Victor WongDirector: John Carpenter
Brand: Fox
Blu-ray: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); Mandarin Chinese (Subtitled); Cantonese (Subtitled); Korean (Subtitled); Thai (Subtitled); English (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language); French (Original Language); French (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 100 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: 2009-08-04
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Blu-ray Reviews of Big Trouble in Little China [Blu-ray]
Blu-ray Review: Over the top fun at it's best on Blu-Ray
Summary: 5 Stars
John Carpenter has given us lots of movies. Some classics, some not so memorable, all with a unique slant seldom tried by other film makers. Big Trouble in Little China is probably the absolute funnest movie in Carpenter's entire tenure. It combines action, comedy and more of that signature Carpenter creativity all in one.
Picture if you will a mildly obnoxious truck driver getting mixed up in a plot to bring an ancient Chinese demon back into the physical world. Said loser/trucker inadvertently is placed as the savior of all the world. This hero/loser concept is played to the hilt with Kurt Russell giving his character, Jack Burton, the right amount of cocky attitude mixed with a "deer in the headlights" feeling of being in over your head. You can tell Kurt is really enjoying the role, and that level of energy shines through his performance. The beauty of the character is his borderline ineptitude, which makes for some of the best laughs in the movie.
If you read the plot synopsis of the movie the story seems rather simple and even inconsistent in flow in some areas. The execution is the contrary as the visual site gags, character interaction and other bits of eye candy really fill it out. This movie is no masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but it is among the best of the popcorn movies that try to give you more than mere spectacle.
Now the movie is from the 80's and it is not perfection. Some of the special effects will feel dated, especially the monster makeup effects. Some sets are a bit over the top. Once scene bugs me to no end because you can tell Kurt is carrying a prop knife that in no way can be interpreted as the real thing. Sometimes characters do things that don't entirely make sense. Little things for the most part and not enough to damage the experience of the movie except for the most demanding viewers.
This Blu-Ray release will be in high def 1080p, and from some samples I have seen the picture is noticeably better than the original DVD release. I haven't seen the special edition DVD version in a while so I can't really say how much better it would look, but it's safe to assume there is at least a level of improvement. Keep in mind this is a movie made in the 80's and it's production budget was rather limited (another Carpenter trademark) so the source material will likely never compare to current movie releases. Audio will be 5.1 DTS HD in English, Spanish and French and Dolby Digital in English and French (no Spanish, but there are subtitles).
The special features and extras are pretty much identical to the special edition DVD release with one single exception. There is an extended cut included with the theatrical cut. No idea on what scenes were extended and added (likely footage that was found in the deleted scenes of the SE DVD). Here's the breakdown of the other features:
Commentary by Jack and James: Same one from the previous two DVD's. Informative, fun, and sometimes off on tangents. Did you know this movie was originally intended as a western?
Nine deleted scenes: Likely the best cuts from the special edition DVD that weren't put in the extended version. You can see the workprint of the cut and the complete video footage. Both tend to have a little something the other doesn't.
Featurette: The classic 80's promotional "behind the scenes" documentary. Kinda fluffy and doesn't really give you much behind the scenes stuff other than some candid shots of some of the actors.
Extended Ending: I'm guessing this is the scene with Jack Burton vs. Lords of Death. It's a throw away scene that doesn't lend any real addition to the movie so it's good they cut it.
Interview with Richard Edlund: Richard did the special effects for the movie and this interview is more than just him talking about it. It's a technical documentary in of itself with a picture-in-picture of the various special effects the talks about. Much more informative than the making of featurette.
John Carpenter music video: Don't ask.
Trailers and tv spots: I believe this will include the international commercials as well.
Still Gallery: Same as SE.
Personally I think getting this disk will fall into a couple of categories. Those who have the Special Edition DVD and those who do not. If you don't then it's easy. GET THIS BLU-RAY. It looks better, sounds better, has more extras and a bonus extended version of the film. You get pretty much everything. Now if you have the special edition it's going to be a tough one. It's almost assured the picture and sound will be better, but how much? The extras are identical so the only "extra" you get is the extended version of the movie, and to be honest you probably already seen the extended scenes (albeit not in a complete movie version). So that part is up to you.
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