Okay, Hear Me Out: Jack Burton is a TOTAL LIAR in Big Trouble in Little China
Okay, so I was rewatching Big Trouble in Little China with the usual crew last night (pizza and 80s cheese, you know the drill!), and I had a thought that I just CAN'T shake. What if Jack Burton... isn't actually the hero of the story? Like, at all? I think he's making himself out to be WAY more important than he actually is. Think about it: the whole movie is narrated by him, right? So we're only getting his version of events. Maybe Wang Chi is the real hero, and Jack is just… there, getting in the way and telling a taller tale about it later. Like, seriously, Wang Chi is the martial arts expert, he knows the lore, he's the one with the personal stake in saving Miao Yin! Jack just drives a truck and shoots his gun wildly, usually missing. And remember when he knocks himself out with the falling debris in Lo Pan's headquarters? Super heroic, Jack. Real subtle for the story too. My theory is that Jack witnessed everything that really happened, knew Wang Chi was way cooler, and decided to aggrandize his own role in the story when he recounted it all later. Like, picture him at a bar, years later, buying everyone drinks and spinning this wild yarn where he's the main man. I know it sounds crazy, but the whole movie's so over-the-top anyway, right? It's not like it's aiming for realism. And let's be honest, Kurt Russell's playing Jack as this lovable doofus, so it's not THAT far-fetched to think he's an unreliable narrator. It almost makes the movie even MORE fun to watch, knowing that what we're seeing might be a heavily embellished version of the truth. It's like… the ultimate 80s humblebrag. Anyone else ever think about this? Or am I just having a crazy night powered by too much Dr. Pepper? Let me know your thoughts - maybe I'm totally off-base. But something to ponder for the next watch, fer sure!
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