High Risk (1995)

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

After failing to save his wife from the Doctor, Kit Li is working as a bodyguard and secret stunt double for the cowardly martial arts film star Frankie Lane. Frankie attends an exhibition of the crown jewels of Russia at a Hong Kong hotel, and when the Doctor's gang take over the building in attempt to steal them, Kit is the only thing standing in their way.The film is a parody of some of Hollywood's most influential action films, such as "Die Hard" and "Speed". It also gained controversy for spoofing Jackie Chan, who was, in turn, offended by the satire. From what I can tell, he was offended specifically because he had a falling out with the director. I don't see anything that is offensive here... sure, it might vaguely imply that Chan is a fake, but only vaguely -- satire is what happens when you reach the success of Chan.Overall, this is a strong action film with a fun plot. Purists can watch it with subtitles, but those who prefer dubbing will especially enjoy the sweet voice of Daran Norris as the Doctor.

"Meltdown", or "Total Risk" is pretty much a Die Hard clone with a sprinkle "Speed", and Bruce Lee/Jackie Chan-parody mixed in.That may sound like a trashy combination of famous stuff, and like a cheap B-movie, but it's surprisingly entertaining to watch and most of all, very good.The Speed-references are obvious: At the start of the film is a bomb on a bus and at the end then damsel-in-distress get's one on her chest that the hero has to stop. The rest of the movie is basically the story of Die Hard starring Jet Li, with a comedy-driven subplot about a martial arts actor who 's a women loving alcoholic and acts like he would do all of his stunts on it's own, even though he's a coward.And this mix of genres and ideas it what makes this movie a bit more than just one of hundred Die Hard-clones, it makes it a fun movie with exceptionally great action sequences, which are brilliantly choreographed, filmed and edited, and characters you care about, even when they get pretty goofy at times, but that's the Asian style i expected anyway...

While this movie is a number of things--a standalone Hong Kong cops and robbers flick, a parody of or comment upon or theft from the "Die Hard" moves" it is also, more than anything else, director Wong Jing's vehicle to run over Jackie Chan. They worked together on "City Cop" and grew to loathe each other. Based on what we know of the work habits of both, they probably both had good reason to dislike the other.Wong Jing is very powerful in Hong Kong movies. The IMDb filmography only hints at how prolific he has been--there have been some years in which he wrote, produced, executive produced, directed or consulted upon over 20 films.Ridiculing Jackie Chan may not have been number one on his list of things to do but he did get around to it. This is the happy result.

Jet Li is Kit Li, a man who after his wife is killed by a terrorist with the moniker of 'The Doctor', finds himself working for Frankie Lone, the drunk action star who doesn't do his own stunts (Jacky Cheung lampooning Jackie Chan). When they find themselves at the mercy of the Doctor and his goons once again, this time after priceless diamonds, it's up to everyone to do their part to foil the terrorists evil plans. Like a Chinese Die Hard, this film lacks the spirit that made the Bruce Willis action extravaganza such a classic. The humor falls flat, and granted some of the action stunts and martial arts work, there's not enough of the latter, and only a few nice set pieces of the former (the helicopter scene is the only one that sticks out in my mind). The version I watched is missing some footage, I hear, but I doubt it would have made the film better really. As it is you get a simply passable film, with a hopelessly derivative storyline.My Grade: C- DVD Extras: Talent files; Photo gallery with Jet Li trivia; Theatrical trailer; and Trailers for "Once Upon a Time in China" 1-3, "Red Dragon", "Gorgeous", & "the Prisoner"