So I'm watching Jurassic World in the theater and about midway through it, it hits me like a ton of bricks… Chris Pratt is Jack Burton, or more accurately, he's the only guy who can come close to what Kurt Russell did with the character in Big Trouble in Little China.
There's been a lot of talk lately about The Rock starring in a remake of the cult classic, and like most die-hard fans who cherish the John Carpenter original through and through, I wasn't exactly thrilled to hear that anyone was even going near this movie.
Nothing against The Rock; I'm a fan actually. It's just that if he were the guy who walked right up to one of the Three Storms, who just inexplicably floated down from the sky into the room, and tried punching him in the face, part of me believes it might actually work. He's the friggin' Rock.
But Kurt Russell's Jack Burton was a classic everyman. He was operating on pure balls mixed with overwhelming ignorance. He just tried it because…well…what the hell.
And that's where Chris Pratt comes into play. He can be a hero in the classic sense, but he's funny first and foremost. I mean honestly, just picture him reacting to the same kind of supernatural absurdity we witnessed in the original. It's almost like Guardians of the Galaxy was a rehearsal.
I'm not saying a remake would work. The original is a perfect mix of relentless action and non-stop laughs. But if you're going to do it, Chris Pratt is the only actor who gives true fans some hope.
Check out my previous post about what makes Big Trouble in Little China my most watched film, by far, of all time.