Scene of the Week: Big Trouble in Little China – Chinese Standoff

I’ve often contended that Big Trouble in Little China is one of my favorite movies of all time and the scene below is a perfect representation of why. Kurt Russell and Dennis Dun’s characters chase the kidnapped love interests into what seems like just another alley in Chinatown. What happens after that can only be described as “big trouble”.

Synopsis: A rough-and-tumble trucker helps rescue his friend’s fiancée from an ancient sorcerer in a supernatural battle beneath Chinatown.

This movie (and this scene, in particular) may be one of the greatest collection of Asian movie badasses in the history of cinema. You’ll recognize BPA mainstays like Al Leong, James Lew, Gerald Okamura, and Leo Lee in there throwing fisticuffs but JKD legend, and Bruce Lee student Dan Inosanto is in there too! It’s a literal “who’s who” from the late 80’s action genre.

My favorite thing about the film has to be how it portrays the Chinese culture of 80’s California in a serious but supernatural way. It tells us much but shows us more, and that, my friends, is a recipe for success.