50 Movies Like Big Trouble in Little China (1986) You Need to Watch Next
Updated August 2026
View Big Trouble in Little China details →If you loved Big Trouble in Little China (1986) by John Carpenter, here are 50 movies that share its content DNA. iRankMovies measures real similarity using cosine similarity across eight weighted dimensions — genre (50%), tone (12%), pace (10%), structure (8%), era (7%), theme (6%), audience (4%) and narrative perspective (3%) — not just the rating. The closest matches according to our analysis are Cats & Dogs, Kung Fu Panda 4, The Lego Ninjago Movie. Every title is ranked by how closely it matches and backed by the iRank Score, a composite of IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and TMDb across 12,000+ analysed titles.
The Best Movies Similar to Big Trouble in Little China
Selected for their real similarity in content, these are the movies that share the most with Big Trouble in Little China in terms of theme, narrative tone, and cinematic style. Every recommendation goes beyond genre — we evaluate the type of conflict, pacing, dramatic context, and the experience they create for viewers.
Cats & Dogs
2001 · Lawrence Guterman
When a professor develops a vaccine that eliminates human allergies to dogs, he unwittingly upsets the fragile balance of power between cats and dogs and touches off an epic battle for pet supremacy.
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Kung Fu Panda 4
2024 · Mike Mitchell
Po is gearing up to become the spiritual leader of his Valley of Peace, but also needs someone to take his place as Dragon Warrior. As such, he will train a new kung fu practitioner for the spot and w
In common: Action · Adventure
The Lego Ninjago Movie
2017 · Charlie Bean
Six young ninjas are tasked with defending their island home of Ninjago. By night, they’re gifted warriors using their skill and awesome fleet of vehicles to fight villains and monsters. By day, they’
In common: Action · Adventure
Street Fighter
1994 · Steven E. de Souza
Colonel Guile and various other martial arts heroes fight against the tyranny of dictator M. Bison and his cohorts.
In common: Action · Comedy · Fantasy
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
2010 · Brad Peyton
The ongoing war between the canine and feline species is put on hold when they join forces to thwart a rogue cat spy with her own sinister plans for conquest.
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
2017 · Jake Kasdan
Four teenagers in detention discover an old video game console with a game they’ve never heard of. When they decide to play, they are immediately sucked into the jungle world of Jumanji in the bodies
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Mulan
2020 · Niki Caro
When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Chinese Army to defend the country from Huns, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps i
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
The Last Airbender
2010 · M. Night Shyamalan
A century has passed since the Fire Nation declared war on the other three nations of air, water, and earth in its attempt for global domination. Aang, the long-lost Avatar, is found by Water Tribe si
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
2009 · Shawn Levy
Hapless museum night watchman Larry Daley must help his living, breathing exhibit friends out of a pickle now that they've been transferred to the archives at the Smithsonian Institution. Larry's (mis
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Project A
1983 · Jackie Chan
In late 19th century Hong Kong, the British may rule the land, but the pirates rule the waters. Coast Guard officer Dragon Ma is determined that his beloved Coast Guard will not be made a fool of.
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Charlie's Angels
2000 · McG
The captivating crime-fighting trio who are masters of disguise, espionage and martial arts are back! When a devious mastermind embroils them in a plot to destroy individual privacy, the Angels, aided
In common: Action · Comedy · Adventure
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
2003 · McG
The Angels are charged with finding a pair of missing rings that are encoded with the personal information of members of the Witness Protection Program. As informants are killed, the ladies target a r
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life
2003 · Jan de Bont
Off the coast of the volcanic island of Santorini, the intrepid archaeologist Lara Croft makes the unexpected discovery of a pulsating golden orb able to guide its holder to the mythical Pandora's Box
In common: Adventure · Action · Fantasy
Small Soldiers
1998 · Joe Dante
When missile technology is used to enhance toy action figures, the toys soon begin to take their battle programming too seriously.
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Kung Fu Panda 3
2016 · Jennifer Yuh Nelson
While Po and his father are visiting a secret panda village, an evil spirit threatens all of China, forcing Po to form a ragtag army to fight back.
In common: Action · Adventure
The Brothers Grimm
2005 · Terry Gilliam
Folklore collectors and con artists, Jake and Will Grimm, travel from village to village pretending to protect townsfolk from enchanted creatures and performing exorcisms. However, they are put to the
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Last Action Hero
1993 · John McTiernan
After his father's death, a young boy finds solace in action movies featuring an indestructible cop. Given a magic ticket by a theater manager, he is transported into the film and teams up with the co
In common: Action · Comedy · Fantasy
R.I.P.D.
2013 · Robert Schwentke
A recently slain cop joins a team of undead police officers working for the Rest in Peace Department and tries to find the man who murdered him.
In common: Action · Comedy · Fantasy
Elektra
2005 · Rob Bowman
Elektra the warrior survives a near-death experience, becomes an assassin-for-hire, and tries to protect her two latest targets, a single father and his young daughter, from a group of supernatural as
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Shanghai Noon
2000 · Tom Dey
Chon Wang, a clumsy imperial guard, trails Princess Pei Pei when she's kidnapped from the Forbidden City and transported to America. Wang follows her captors to Nevada, where he teams up with an unlik
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Kung Pow: Enter the Fist
2002 · Steve Oedekerk
A movie within a movie, created to spoof the martial arts genre. Writer/director Steve Oedekerk uses contemporary characters and splices them into a 1970s kung-fu film, weaving the new and old togethe
In common: Action · Comedy
Shanghai Knights
2003 · David Dobkin
When a Chinese rebel murders Chon's estranged father and escapes to England, Chon and Roy make their way to London with revenge on their minds.
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Mortal Kombat
1995 · Paul W. S. Anderson
For nine generations an evil sorcerer has been victorious in hand-to-hand battle against his mortal enemies. If he wins a tenth Mortal Kombat tournament, desolation and evil will reign over the multiv
In common: Action · Fantasy
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
2021 · Destin Daniel Cretton
Shang-Chi must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Drunken Master
1978 · Yuen Woo-Ping
After getting into trouble, a mischievous young man is sent to train under a brutal, but slovenly old beggar, who teaches him the secret of the Drunken Fist.
In common: Action · Comedy
Highlander
1986 · Russell Mulcahy
He fought his first battle on the Scottish Highlands in 1536. He will fight his greatest battle on the streets of New York City in 1986. His name is Connor MacLeod. He is immortal.
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
The Forbidden Kingdom
2008 · Rob Minkoff
An American teenager who is obsessed with Hong Kong cinema and kung-fu classics makes an extraordinary discovery in a Chinatown pawnshop: the legendary stick weapon of the Chinese sage and warrior, th
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
The Legend of Drunken Master
1994 · Lau Kar-Leung
Returning home with his father after a shopping expedition, Wong Fei-Hong is unwittingly caught up in the battle between foreigners who wish to export ancient Chinese artifacts and loyalists who don't
In common: Action · Comedy
Red One
2024 · Jake Kasdan
After Santa Claus (codename: Red One) is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security must team up with the world's most infamous tracker in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.
In common: Action · Comedy · Fantasy
Ghostbusters
2016 · Paul Feig
Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly th
In common: Action · Comedy · Fantasy
Monster Hunter
2020 · Paul W. S. Anderson
A portal transports Cpt. Artemis and an elite unit of soldiers to a strange world where powerful monsters rule with deadly ferocity. Faced with relentless danger, the team encounters a mysterious hunt
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Willow
1988 · Ron Howard
The evil Queen Bavmorda hunts the newborn princess Elora Danan, a child prophesied to bring about her downfall. When the royal infant is found by Willow, a timid farmer and aspiring sorcerer, he's ent
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Bāhubali 2: The Conclusion
2017 · S. S. Rajamouli
When Mahendra, the son of Bāhubali, learns about his heritage, he begins to look for answers. His story is juxtaposed with past events that unfolded in the Mahishmati Kingdom.
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Solomon Kane
2009 · MJ Bassett
A nomadic 16th century warrior, condemned to hell for his brutal past, seeks redemption by renouncing violence, but finds some things are worth burning for as he fights to free a young Puritan woman f
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Mortal Kombat
2021 · Simon McQuoid
Washed-up MMA fighter Cole Young, unaware of his heritage, and hunted by Emperor Shang Tsung's best warrior, Sub-Zero, seeks out and trains with Earth's greatest champions as he prepares to stand agai
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2001 · Peter Jackson
Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. Along the way, a fellowshi
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
2003 · Gore Verbinski
When wily pirate Captain Barbossa seizes Jack Sparrow’s beloved ship, the Black Pearl, and kidnaps the governor’s daughter, Elizabeth Swann, blacksmith Will Turner reluctantly teams up with the unpred
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
How to Train Your Dragon
2025 · Dean DeBlois
On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart, defying centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dra
In common: Action · Adventure
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
2006 · Gore Verbinski
Captain Jack Sparrow’s got a blood debt to pay: he owes his soul to the legendary Davy Jones, ghastly Ruler of the Ocean Depths. To escape eternal servitude aboard the Flying Dutchman, ever-crafty Jac
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
2011 · Rob Marshall
When Jack crosses paths with a woman from his past, he's not sure if it's love...or if she's a ruthless con artist using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth.
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
2007 · Gore Verbinski
After losing Captain Jack Sparrow to the locker of Davy Jones, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, and Captain Barbossa journey to the ends of the earth to rescue him. And as the East India Trading Company
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
2019 · David Leitch
Ever since US Diplomatic Security Service Agent Hobbs and lawless outcast Shaw first faced off, they just have traded smack talk and body blows. But when cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist Brixton's
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Jungle Cruise
2021 · Jaume Collet-Serra
Dr. Lily Houghton enlists the aid of wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff to take her down the Amazon in his dilapidated boat. Together, they search for an ancient tree that holds the power to heal – a di
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Tomb Raider
2018 · Roar Uthaug
Lara Croft, the fiercely independent daughter of a missing adventurer, must push herself beyond her limits when she finds herself on the island where her father disappeared.
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Warcraft
2016 · Duncan Jones
The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another. As a portal opens to connect
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Gods of Egypt
2016 · Alex Proyas
A common thief joins a mythical god on a quest through Egypt.
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Speed Racer
2008 · Lana Wachowski
Speed Racer is a young and brilliant racing driver. When corruption in the racing leagues costs his brother his life, Speed must team up with the police and the mysterious Racer X to bring an end to t
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
The Lost City
2022 · Aaron Nee
Reclusive author Loretta Sage writes about exotic places in her popular adventure novels that feature a handsome cover model named Alan. While on tour promoting her new book with Alan, Loretta gets ki
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
2010 · Jon Turteltaub
Balthazar Blake is a master sorcerer in modern-day Manhattan trying to defend the city from his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath. Balthazar can't do it alone, so he recruits Dave Stutler, a seemingly avera
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
2001 · Simon West
Orphaned heiress, English aristocrat and intrepid archaeologist, Lara Croft, embarks on a dangerous quest to retrieve the two halves of an ancient artifact which controls time before it falls into the
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Popular series
Breaking Bad
2008 · Michelle MacLaren
Walter White, a New Mexico chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of only two years left to live. He becomes filled with a sense of fearlessness and an unrelenting
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
2023 · Kazutaka Yamanaka
After the party of heroes defeated the Demon King, they restored peace to the land and returned to lives of solitude. Generations pass, and the elven mage Frieren comes face to face with humanity’s m
Avatar: The Last Airbender
2005 · Michael Dante DiMartino
In a war-torn world of elemental magic, a young boy reawakens to undertake a dangerous mystic quest to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar, and bring peace to the world.
