BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA

CHARACTERS

Kurt Russel as Jack Burton – Main Protagonist

Kim Cattral as Gracie Law – Companion/Sidekick

Dennis Dun as Wang Chi – Main Protagonist/Sidekick

James Hong as David Lo Pan – Main Antagonist

Victor Wong as Egg Shen – Companion/Sidekick

Carter Wong as Thunder – Henchman

Peter Kwong as Rain – Henchman

James Pax as Lightning – Henchman

FILM PLOT

Beginning

Truck driver Jack Burton wins a bet against his restaurant owner friend Wang Chi, and accompanies him to the airport to go and pick up Wang's Chinese fiancée Miao Yin to make sure he honours the payment that he promised. A Chinese street gang, known as the Lords of Death, tries to kidnap another Chinese girl at the airport who is being met by her friend Gracie Law, intending to sell her as a sex slave. After Jack intervenes, they take Miao Yin instead. In Jack's big-rig truck, he and Wang track the Lords of Death to the back alleys of Chinatown, where they find a funeral procession that quickly erupts into a street fight between the Chang Sing and Wing Kong, two ancient Chinese societies. When "The Three Storms" - Thunder, Rain, and Lightning, mighty warriors with weather-themed powers - appear, slaughtering the Chang Sing, Jack tries to escape but runs over Lo Pan, a powerful and legendary sorcerer and the leader of the Wing Kong. Horrified, Jack exits his truck, but finds Lo Pan entirely unfazed and glowing with malicious power. Wang hurriedly guides Jack through the alleys; the two escape the carnage and mayhem, but Jack's truck is stolen.

Middle

Wang takes Jack to his restaurant, where they meet up with Gracie, Wang's friend Eddie Lee, and magician Egg Shen, a local authority on Lo Pan. They try to explain to an incredulous Jack some of the ancient knowledge and sorcery the Chinese brought with them to America, eventually devising a plan to infiltrate a brothel, where they think Miao Yin is being held. The infiltration effort is moderately successful, but the Storms interrupt the operation and make off with Miao Yin, taking her to their master Lo Pan. Jack and Wang track down the front business used by Lo Pan and impersonate electricians to gain access, but are quickly subdued by Rain. After being tied up and beaten by Thunder, the two meet Lo Pan - however, he now appears as a crippled old man. Wang tells Jack that Lo Pan needs a special green-eyed girl to break an ancient curse, and he intends to sacrifice Miao Yin. Centuries ago, Lo Pan, a great warrior and even greater wizard, was defeated in battle by the first sovereign emperor Qin Shi Huang. The Emperor placed upon Lo Pan the curse of No Flesh. Although Lo Pan can be temporarily granted a decrepit body by supplication to the gods, in order for him to permanently break the curse and regain his human form, he must marry a woman with green eyes. This simple act will appease Ching Dai, the God of the East. But to satisfy the Emperor, he must sacrifice her. When Jack and Wang's friends attempt to save them, they are also captured, and Lo Pan notes that Gracie has green eyes, too. Lo Pan decides to sacrifice Gracie, while making Miao Yin his unwilling wife. After getting the drop on Thunder, Jack and Wang escape, and free many women kept in holding cells in the process; a horrible orangutan-like monster recaptures Gracie before she leaves.

End

Wang and Jack then go to regroup with the Chang Sing and Egg Shen, and as a group they enter an underground cavern to return to Lo Pan's headquarters. Egg pours each of the group a potent potion that Jack says makes him feel "kind of invincible." During the wedding ceremony, a huge fight ensues. Jack is largely incapicated during the battle, first knocking himself out and then getting trapped under an automaton suit of armour. Wang kills Rain in a sword duel, while Jack and Gracie pair up and chase the newly-alive Lo Pan. Wang joins them, and just when all seems lost, Jack kills Lo Pan with a skilful knife throw. Thunder, too distracted by Wang to prevent his master's death, inflates to an enormous size from dishonoured fury, finally exploding and killing himself. Jack, Wang, Gracie, and Miao Yin are cornered by Lightning in a corridor, who triggers a collapse with his powers. Egg rescues them with a rope and kills Lightning by dropping a stone Buddha statue on him when he tries to follow. After finding Jack's truck, the group busts out and escapes back to Wang's restaurant.

The group celebrates their victory in the restaurant with the rescued women; Wang and Miao prepare to marry, while Eddie is pairing up with Gracie's journalist friend Margo. Egg sets off on a long-due vacation - Jack suggests his homeland, but Egg says that China is in the heart. Jack, presented with a new life with Gracie, instead bids farewell to the group and hits the open road, not wanting to be tied down. Unbeknownst to him, the orangutan-like monster survived the battle in the labyrinth and has stowed away on his truck.

Emotional Themes

The theme of the film is Comedy, Fantasy and Horror. Comedy as the film isn’t exactly to be taken- Seriously…

-Point proven… It is also a fantasy as it involves supernatural powers being Water, Electricity and green electricity. Rain, Lightning and thunder

Story Elements – Book or Film.

The film came first as the book is a comic. It was released in 2014 therefore making the film first as it was released in 1986.

The main characters relationships and motivations

Jack Burton: One of the main characters, Jack Burton, does not care about anyone else as he just interested in getting his truck back however in order to get the money he needs from a bet he won, he tries to save Wang’s fiancé but ends up getting his truck stolen. You could say that Jack isn’t actually a hero but a more of a show figure. He acts like a hero but really just doesn’t care.

Wang Chi: The other main character, Wang Chi, shows more traits of being a hero as he wishes to save his fiancé from David Lo Pan and actually fights well against them. His intent is good and doesn’t show off like Jack does. In the film we also see that Wang is willing to sacrifice himself to save Jack, Gracie, His fiancé and Egg.

Gracie Law: We first see Gracie Law at the airport trying to save a friend from a gang who wish to sell her off a sex slave however they take Wang Chi’s Fiancé instead. Gracie law feels bad for Wang so she then decides to help him out and also getting her friend who is a reporter, a juicy story for her to write up.

David Lo Pan: The Main antagonist, David Lo Pan, Wishes to marry a women with green eyes to restore his body. His motives are rather evil as he also wish to sacrifice Gracie to the gods and marry Wang’s Fiancé so that he may become his actual form instead of being an old man who controls a ghost with powers.

The 3 Storms: The three storms are Thunder, Lightning and Rain. These are the 3 wizards that work for David Lo Pan and aid in his goal of actually becoming human. They seem to not care about those around them but they really insist on doing David lo pans work for him. These are the henchman within the film.

Egg Shen: Egg Shen is like the 3 Storms however uses his powers for good instead of actually using them for evil. His is a companion of Wang and Jack during the film in aiding the rescue of Wang's Fiancé and Gracie Law.