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Big Trouble in Little China poster

Movies that feel likeBig Trouble in Little China (1986)

Truck driver Jack Burton gets embroiled in a supernatural battle when his best friend Wang Chi's green-eyed fiancée is kidnapped by henchmen of the sorcerer Lo Pan, who must marry a girl with green eyes in order to return to the human realm.

If you loved Big Trouble in Little China, the closest films we have are Conan the Barbarian (1982), Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons (2013) and Highlander (1986). All three share Big Trouble in Little China's kinetic and epic feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is A Touch of Zen (1970).

🍅 65% Rotten Tomatoes★ 7.2 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. John Carpenterkineticepicwittyplayfuldreamlike
11 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · Amazon Prime Video · Peacock Premium

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If Big Trouble in Little China hit the spot, these will too

Conan the Barbarian poster
Conan the Barbarian
1982 · dir. John Milius
🍅 68%★ 6.9adventure · fantasy · actionNetflix

Two things both keep coming back to: magic and mythology

The difference: Lighter on wit

A horde of rampaging warriors massacre the parents of young Conan and enslave the young child for years on The Wheel of Pain. As the sole survivor of the childhood massacre, Conan is released from slavery and taught the ancient arts of fighting. Transforming himself into a killing machine, Conan travels into the wilderness to seek vengeance on Thulsa Doom, the man responsible for killing his family. In the wilderness, Conan takes up with the thieves Valeria and Subotai. The group comes upon King Osric, who wants the trio of warriors to help rescue his daughter who has joined Doom in the hills.

Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons poster
🍅 94%★ 6.7action · fantasy · adventurePrime Video

Both are built on the same subject: kung fu

The difference: Critics rated this one higher still

In a world plagued by demons who cause great human suffering, young demon hunter Tang Sanzang must fight against monstrous demons, as well as contend with a beautiful demon hunting woman on his path to enlightenment.

Highlander poster
Highlander
1986 · dir. Russell Mulcahy
🍅 70%★ 7adventure · action · fantasyPrime VideoPeacock

The same preoccupation in both: martial arts

He fought his first battle on the Scottish Highlands in 1536. He will fight his greatest battle on the streets of New York City in 1986. His name is Connor MacLeod. He is immortal.

A Touch of Zen poster
A Touch of Zen
1970 · dir. King Hu
🍅 97%★ 7.5action · adventure · fantasy

One thread runs through both: martial arts

Yang Hui-zhen, a mysterious princess on the run from corrupt government officials, is joined in her endeavors by skilled Buddhist monks and an unambitious painter named Gu Sheng-zhai.

Project A poster
Project A
1983 · dir. Jackie Chan
🍅 81%★ 7.2action · adventure · comedy

Both land momentum and scale at once

In late 19th century Hong Kong, the British may rule the land, but the pirates rule the waters. Coast Guard officer Dragon Ma is determined that his beloved Coast Guard will not be made a fool of.

Armour of God poster
Armour of God
1986 · dir. Jackie Chan
🍅 80%★ 6.9adventure · action · comedyRent or buy

Witty and playful in the same breath

After an adventurer known as the Asian Hawk steals a mysterious sword known to be a piece of the Armour of God, a magical suit of armour that dates back to the Crusades, a cult of Satanic monks kidnap his ex-girlfriend and demand he turn over the sword and recover the rest of the armour.

Last Action Hero poster
Last Action Hero
1993 · dir. John McTiernan
🍅 42%★ 6.5fantasy · action · comedy

Both keep coming back to the same thing: magic

After his father's death, a young boy finds solace in action movies featuring an indestructible cop. Given a magic ticket by a theater manager, he is transported into the film and teams up with the cop to stop a villain who escapes into the real world.

Red One poster
Red One
2024 · dir. Jake Kasdan
🍅 29%★ 6.2action · adventure · comedyPrime Video

Common ground: kidnapping

The difference: 38 years apart, and the 2020s show

After Santa Claus (codename: Red One) is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security must team up with the world's most infamous tracker in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.

The Myth poster
The Myth
2005 · dir. Stanley Tong Gwai-Lai
🍅 20%★ 6.1action · adventure · comedy

Action with a pulse of dream logic, in both cases

The difference: Played as drama first

When a fellow scientist asks for Jack's help in locating the mausoleum of China's first emperor, the past collides violently with the present as Jack discovers his amazing visions are based in fact.

Small Soldiers poster
Small Soldiers
1998 · dir. Joe Dante
🍅 51%★ 6.3comedy · adventure · fantasyPrime Video

Kinetic adventure in both cases

The difference: Leans further into science fiction

When missile technology is used to enhance toy action figures, the toys soon begin to take their battle programming too seriously.

The Brothers Grimm poster
The Brothers Grimm
2005 · dir. Terry Gilliam
🍅 38%★ 5.9adventure · fantasy · actionParamount+

Comedy built on scale, twice over

Folklore collectors and con artists, Jake and Will Grimm, travel from village to village pretending to protect townsfolk from enchanted creatures and performing exorcisms. However, they are put to the test when they encounter a real magical curse in a haunted forest with real magical beings, requiring genuine courage.

The Scorpion King poster
The Scorpion King
2002 · dir. Chuck Russell
🍅 40%★ 5.5action · adventure · fantasyPeacockStarz

Both lean on dream logic more than on fantasy

In ancient Egypt, peasant Mathayus is hired to exact revenge on the powerful Memnon and the sorceress Cassandra, who are ready to overtake Balthazar's village. Amid betrayals, thieves, abductions and more, Mathayus strives to bring justice to his complicated world.

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The best-reviewed films that share Big Trouble in Little China’s defining feeling.