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geekwayne's review
2.0
'Big Trouble in Little China the Illustrated Novel: Big Trouble in Mother Russia' by Matthew J. Elliott with illustrations by Elena Casagrande is a sequel decades after the film was released. It's written by a member of the RiffTrax staff.
Self-proclaimed red-blooded American hero and ladies man Jack Burton has recently gotten back from his adventures in Little China. He's riding around in the Porkchop Express with a new strange friend, and staying in touch with old friends. He gets a delivery job and winds up in the heart of Russia along with his best friend Wang.
I remember liking the original film, but I don't think I've seen it since the time I saw it in the theater. It feels like they got the characters right, but a little of Jack Burton's swagger goes a long way, especially in light of 2018. He's actually kind of a jerk, so this was a tough read.
There are a handful of illustrations, and they aren't bad. I'm just not sure we needed this sequel at this time.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Boom! Studios and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
Self-proclaimed red-blooded American hero and ladies man Jack Burton has recently gotten back from his adventures in Little China. He's riding around in the Porkchop Express with a new strange friend, and staying in touch with old friends. He gets a delivery job and winds up in the heart of Russia along with his best friend Wang.
I remember liking the original film, but I don't think I've seen it since the time I saw it in the theater. It feels like they got the characters right, but a little of Jack Burton's swagger goes a long way, especially in light of 2018. He's actually kind of a jerk, so this was a tough read.
There are a handful of illustrations, and they aren't bad. I'm just not sure we needed this sequel at this time.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Boom! Studios and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
lsmith36's review
2.0
I mostly requested this book from Netgallery due to nostalgia. Big Trouble in Little China is one of my favorite movies of all time (sad, I know), so I could never insult Jack burton’s memory by not reading this book. However, you shouldn’t color me impressed yet.
While I found this book to be entertaining it is something I feel like would be much better as an 80’s movie. So in that regard, this installment keeps with the aesthetics and style of the original film, carrying it on into written form. That was just my problem. Jack Burton’s character does not translate well onto page, leaving much to be desired on the character front. In fact, most of what I found to be so endearing about the movie just served as an annoyance in the book. The characters were not given much fleshing out, leaving them as page fillers. I was also disappointed in the lack of setting description.
Basically, putting an 80’s movie on paper was not the greatest idea. I would recommend this book as a mindless read for when you’re incredibly bored, but no anything more than that.
While I found this book to be entertaining it is something I feel like would be much better as an 80’s movie. So in that regard, this installment keeps with the aesthetics and style of the original film, carrying it on into written form. That was just my problem. Jack Burton’s character does not translate well onto page, leaving much to be desired on the character front. In fact, most of what I found to be so endearing about the movie just served as an annoyance in the book. The characters were not given much fleshing out, leaving them as page fillers. I was also disappointed in the lack of setting description.
Basically, putting an 80’s movie on paper was not the greatest idea. I would recommend this book as a mindless read for when you’re incredibly bored, but no anything more than that.
tarheel99's review
4.0
I wanted to love this book so much. Just seeing the title was enough to give it 5 stars. Big Trouble In Little China is one of my favorite movies and I was hoping this could capture some of that. It's still good and fun, but hearing every little detail of what goes on in Jack Burton's head is just a bit too much. The tone for him feels a little off to me as well...he's a self-centered idiot, but just how much the author hammered that part just felt like overkill at times. The book got better toward the end, once the action really got going.
solaniisrex's review
4.0
As I look down at the date I started reading this book I see that it's taken me fifteen months to read this one. To be fair pages five through the end were this week, but yeah...
This book picks up shortly following the events of the film Big Touble in Little China. If you aren't familiar with that movie, then I'm not sure why you'd pick up this book. It delivers exactly what you'd expect. All the surviving characters from Little China make their return with the standard one-liners, confusion, and lack of character development. But if you've got some spare time and just want to relive the nostalgia in a new location this is the one for you!
I'm also assuming, based on the last chapter of this book, that there is another story coming our way. Or possibly the author is a sadist and just wanted to add a cliffhanger in there for the fun of it.
This book picks up shortly following the events of the film Big Touble in Little China. If you aren't familiar with that movie, then I'm not sure why you'd pick up this book. It delivers exactly what you'd expect. All the surviving characters from Little China make their return with the standard one-liners, confusion, and lack of character development. But if you've got some spare time and just want to relive the nostalgia in a new location this is the one for you!
I'm also assuming, based on the last chapter of this book, that there is another story coming our way. Or possibly the author is a sadist and just wanted to add a cliffhanger in there for the fun of it.
wastelanderone's review
1.0
I thought I wanted a sequel to Big Trouble in Little China. Unfortunately, this isn't it.
This is a meandering, unfunny, unexciting book that doesn't even have the decency to have an illustration every chapter. It also does not live up to the promise of "Illustrated Novel". There is an illustration on page 14, just before the story begins, and the next is in the middle of Chapter 4, on page 48! I'd expect an illustration for each chapter, normally, at least.
I'm very disappointed. I only watched the film for the first time last year and had a good time, but I'm not sure a book from Jack's rambling point of view does it justice.
Thanks to Netgalley for the read.
This is a meandering, unfunny, unexciting book that doesn't even have the decency to have an illustration every chapter. It also does not live up to the promise of "Illustrated Novel". There is an illustration on page 14, just before the story begins, and the next is in the middle of Chapter 4, on page 48! I'd expect an illustration for each chapter, normally, at least.
I'm very disappointed. I only watched the film for the first time last year and had a good time, but I'm not sure a book from Jack's rambling point of view does it justice.
Thanks to Netgalley for the read.
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