Film Commentary

1986 promised to be a year of cinematic gems on the silver screen, but turned out to give us nothing more than fool's gold (too view things with less value than fool's gold, please see wikipedia page for the upcoming Matthew McConaughey film). Two films, however, stand out like roses in a crop of weeds. These two movies are Big Trouble In Little China and The Golden Child.

Both films had a prominent lead actor, with Kurt Russel as Jack Burton in BTILC and Eddie Murphy in TGC. Neither was the first choice for their role, with studios wanting to stars Jack Nicholson and Mel Gibson, respectively, for the roles. Despite not getting their first picks, the directors were able to compensate by making the lead character learn about differing cultures:






Both films also feature Victor Wong in his usual character of the wise old man. And, let's not forget about the amazing special effects in each film!





So which movie is better? My vote is for BTILC; if not for the superior story line, well practiced choreography, John Wayne-inspired lead character, and the resulting video game, at least for director John Carpenter's great job with the soundtrack:







But you don't have to take my word for it, which film do you like more?