2. Jack Burton - Big Trouble In Little China
Another classic Carpenter and Russell collaboration finds Kurt as a truck driver who gets sucked into a mystical war in Chinatown, where he doesnt have a clue whats happening the entire film. Big Trouble was ahead of its time, introducing martial arts and fantasy action well before The Matrix came along. The key to the film aside from the great action is Russells hero; a bumbling idiot who doesnt even realise hes the sidekick. His partner does all of the hard stuff - including fighting and saving the girl - while poor Jack usually gets knocked before the fights even begin. He manages to kill the main villain by dumb luck, rather than any innate ability or heroism. It was a bold move for Russell to subvert his image like this and essentially play a dumb version of John Wayne, and while it may have been a flop upon release its gone on to become a become a beloved cult favourite. A remake is in the works starring The Rock, and it seems unlikely it will be half as good.