Big Trouble in Little China

Kurt Russell, Dennis Dun and Sex and the City's Kim Cattrall star in this wry and raucous comedy-adventure from Starman director John Carpenter. When his best friend's fiancée is kidnapped by an ancient Chinese sorcerer, unlikely hero Russell sets out to teach the robbers a lesson, but ends up learning a lesson in humility himself on the mean and mysterious streets of Chinatown. I confess that this somewhat labored effort is not as engaging as I once found it (there's a lot of comic potential still on the table at the end), but with its clever reversal of the leading man and sidekick roles, some impressive world-class chopsockying (Carpenter was way ahead of the "Matrix" curve here), and a special edition two-disc set that includes a delightful commentary by long-time friends Russell and Carpenter, this big cult fave will no doubt make many new converts. Recommended. (S. C. Sickles)[Blu-ray Review—Sept. 1, 2009—Fox, 100 min., PG-13, $29.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1986's Big Trouble in Little China features a decent transfer with 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio sound. Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director-composer John Carpenter and star Kurt Russell, deleted scenes (51 min.), an interview with visual effects producer Richard Edlund (14 min.), a vintage featurette (8 min.), an extended ending (3 min.), a music video for the titular theme song by the Coupe de Villes, a behind-the-scenes photo gallery, TV spots, and trailers. Bottom line: Carpenter's tongue-in-cheek action flick makes a solid debut on Blu-ray.]