On the DVD commentary for Big Trouble in Little China , Carpenter and Russell discuss this amongst possible reasons for the film 's disappointing box office gross. The film received mixed reviews from critics when it was first released but has since enjoyed a reappraisal .
Big Trouble in Little China has a rating of more than 80 % on Rotten Tomatoes based on less than 40 reviews , with an average rating of more than 68 % .