big-trouble-in-little-china

I don't even know how to describe Big Trouble in Little China. Released in 1986, it was more of a guy's version of spoof movies made famous by Mel Brooks, who released a handful of cult classics in the mid-70s. But Little China took that whole premise to ridiculous new heights. And it was led by the charming brawn of Kurt Russell, who played aloof tough guy Jack Burton to a T. It was a masterclass in weirdness; to get a small idea of what the film is like, check out the film's trailer below.

The reason I bring this up is because a remake is reportedly in the works (of course), and it's going to star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The film, nor The Rock's official appointment as Burton, has been confirmed, but it sure sounds like all the details will be finalized sooner rather than later. The Rock has charm, action hero status, and unfathomably large muscles, so, yeah, why not cast him in the action comedy. The thing is, I don't know if it quite fits. The trucker mullet and dad jeans can't really be replaced, you know?

The Rock's star power is only getting brighter, however, so now's the time to do it. It'll be tricky to redo a classic. You can't do a straight-up scene-for-scene remake, but you also can't ditch what made Big Trouble in Little China so fun in the first place. Hollywood has unsuccessfully tried to make 80s movies with more contemporary themes, but hopefully this one doesn't befall a similar fate.