Before the 90’s, there was the 80’s. I wasn’t born yet, but I’ve been able to experience it through movies like Back to the Future and Karate Kid. The dawn of a new decade was fast approaching, and out of the blue a kung fu masterpiece shows up on the horizon. Its name was Big Trouble in Little China and boy was it a sight to see. I remember watching this once as a kid and I was almost afraid of every scene. Looking back now I see how much I’ve grown to appreciate its 80’s charms and technical prowess.
The movie starts off with our protagonist Jack Burton, a rugged guy who drives a truck. His whole adventure starts when he drops some livestock at an Asian food mart. Next thing you know he’s won a gamble with his childhood friend, Wang Chi, and they have to go to Chinatown in order to pick up the winnings. First they needed to make a stop at the airport to pick up Wang Chi’s bride and that is when all hell breaks loose. Basically they are led on a wild goose chase through the caverns of the mystical Chinatown in order to save the dames from the clutches of an evil wizard named David Lo Pan.
Little China is beautiful. It is simply, my favorite part about the movie. The neon lights in the heavy rain beam with a warm sense of openness. The shimmering vintage cars that swerved their way onto the screen made my goosebumps have goosebumps. There is nothing like seeing a cherry red Stingray in action or a pastel pink thunderbird pullup to a whorehouse. Then there were the buildings. Apparently, Craig Edgar was in charge of set design. He did an amazing job at giving the feel of a rustic, decrepit exterior and an eerie rich interior. I’d love to have something like the neon Oni found in the marriage scene to accent my dorm wall. Then there was the hallway of golden Buddha that seemed to mesmerize me every time they were in that room.
The fashion was another thing to die for. Everyone was dressed in earth tones and mom and dad jeans. I never thought I’d be able to appreciate earth tones with denim before, but apparently they work perfectly together. It has a western look to it, like how cowboys look. The mullet that Jack rocked screamed 80’s. The gangsters wore bomber jackets, even though none of them were in the military, and they also wore the most outrageous sunglasses. Apparently the white sunglasses worn by the Lord of Death Gang leader were inspired by Eskimo hunting glasses.
Aside from the movies aesthetics, the movie was an easy watch. It felt a bit rushed with all the plot points summarized by somebody in every scene. Then there were plenty of tropes, like the white knight, which was Jack burton. Then there was the archetypal wise old man, which is Egg Shen. Normally, these kinds of tropes would make for a horrible movie, but since there is so much going on that it seems that none of the weak character development matters. The movie was an adventure to say the least.
It was a great time absorbing the vaporwave. It was a true experience that I will love to watch again and again. If you want to watch a classic, then turn on Big trouble in Little China for the best nostalgia feeling.
