Big Trouble in Little China

Jack Burton has all the makings of a side character. He’s showy, loud, inept, and funny. He’s the kind of character that relieves tension from moments while the real hero stays steely eyed and focused on the task at hand. But John Carpenter made him the main character of Big Trouble in Little China, and it turns an adventure film into a comedy adventure film. That combination doesn’t always work well (think of the decreasing returns of using Jack Sparrow as the main character in the Pirates...