50x3: Big Trouble in Little China (M-2)

Well, I am probably going to take a lot of flack for this. I realize a lot of people love this movie, and I can see that it may be a bit of a cult classic. Usually I can handle weird and a bit confusing, but this film was just a little much for me.

In Big Trouble in Little China Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) takes a friend of his, Wang Chi (Dennis Dun) to the airport to pickup his fiancee. While there Burton locks eyes with a woman, Gracie (Kim Cattrall) who seems to realize that something is about to go down.

Once Wang's fiancee is through customs, a Chinese street game known as the Lords of Death kidnap her. Burton and Wang jump in Burton's truck to chase them down and end up in the middle of a street battle between the Wing Kong and the Chang Sing.

As they escape, Burton loses his truck and he and Wang meetup with Gracie, Eddie (Donald Li) and a magician named Egg Shen (Victor Wong). Together they come up with a plan to infiltrate a brothel where Wang's fiancee is supposedly taken.

It turns out that all of this is happening because of a sorcerer known as Lo Pan (James Hong). Legend says that he is forced to roam the Earth in as a ghost until he can marry a girl with emerald green eyes. Turns out Wang's fiancee is just that girl.

Burton is now tasked with finding Wang's fiancee, stopping Lo Pan from marrying her and regaining his human form, and most importantly - finding his truck.

I do have to give this film props for one thing - it was incredibly ambitious. A lot of stuff was shoved into a 99 minute movie, and so many strange and odd ideas tossed in as well.

Again, perhaps this is me watching it a bit too late in my life. Had I watched this in the '80s or early '90s I may have enjoyed it a lot more.

It did have its moments, and I laughed a handful of times at the sheer insane things that they put into the film - but overall it just didn't hit me right.

Grade:

8/50: Tombstone

As I said before when reviewing 3:10 To Yuma I have never really been into Western films. I have, however, had my interest piqued with some of the well known crusaders of the west.

Because of that, I was very interested in viewing Tombstone during my 50 films of 2011. One of the things that stood out to me was just how small the Battle at OK Corral was. Hearing about it so many times I assumed it was a huge shoot out - when in fact it was four men taking out a gang of cowboys.

Anyway, the film depicts a retiring Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) joining his brothers Morgan (Bill Paxton) and Virgil (Sam Elliott) in Tombstone. Earp is well known for being a successful lawman, but is now looking to retire and make money panning for gold or owning a business.

The Cowboys, as they have been called (and also carry a red sash), have sort of taken over the town. When Earp arrives he is asked repeatedly to take over as sheriff of the town, and repeatedly turns them down.

One night, acting sheriff is gunned down my a drunk cowboy named Curly Bill Brocius (Powers Boothe) and Morgan and Virgil decide to take over as the town's sheriffs. It isn't until the Cowboys begin to mess with the Earps and their families that Wyatt decides to join the crew. With the three Earps and Wyatt's life long friend Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) - the four take on a bunch of the Cowboys in the Battle of OK Corral.

Things start to become worse as both Morgan and Virgil are shot by the Cowboys, and Wyatt and Doc round up a few other men to go on a Cowboy killing spree.

The movie was rather brilliant, not as great as I was hoping, but still very entertaining. The fight scenes were a little lacking for me, but for a 1993 movie I guess I can accept them. The absolute gem of the entire film was Kilmer's performance as Holliday. One of the best characters on film that I have had the pleasure of seeing. His performance alone bumped up my grade for the film, though I did enjoy it anyway.

Grade: