If you spent any time in a suburban video rental store in the late nineties, you probably saw a yellow or red VHS spine with Jet Li’s face on it. It was usually tucked between Fist of Legend and some grainy Jackie Chan bootleg. That movie was High Risk, a weird, hyper-violent, and surprisingly mean-spirited action-comedy from 1995 that basically serves as Hong Kong’s middle finger to Hollywood.
It’s a bizarre flick. Honestly, it’s less of a movie and more of a fever dream directed by Wong Jing, a man known for making movies faster than most people do their laundry.
Why High Risk is Actually a Die Hard Parody
Most people call this movie "the Chinese Die Hard." That’s fair. It’s set in a high-rise building—the Grandeur Hotel—where a group of terrorists led by a guy named "The Doctor" takes a bunch of socialites hostage. They want some priceless crown jewels. It’s got the vents. It’s got the elevator shaft fights. It even has the "civilian trapped inside" trope.
But there’s a massive twist here.
The movie isn't just copying Bruce Willis; it’s viciously mocking Jackie Chan. See, in 1995, there was some real-life beef between director Wong Jing and Jackie Chan after they worked together on City Hunter. Wong Jing decided to vent his frustration by creating the character Frankie Lone, played by Jacky Cheung.
Frankie is a world-famous action star who claims to do all his own stunts but is actually a drunk, cowardly fraud who uses a stunt double for everything.
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Jet Li plays Kit Li, the actual stunt double who does the real work while Frankie takes the credit. It’s meta before meta was cool. It’s also incredibly petty. But that pettiness fuels some of the funniest and most cynical moments in mid-nineties Hong Kong cinema.
The Action is Peak 1990s Jet Li
Let’s talk about the choreography. This was the era before Jet Li moved to Hollywood to play villains in Lethal Weapon 4 or fight DMX in Cradle 2 the Grave. He was at the absolute height of his physical speed.
While the movie leans heavily into comedy, the fights are no joke. Corey Yuen—the legendary choreographer who later did the action for The Transporter—put this together. The speed is breakneck. There’s a scene involving a car being driven into an elevator that feels like it belongs in a much more expensive movie.
Jet Li is stoic here. He’s playing a man who lost his wife and child to a bomb (planted by the same villain he meets later, because of course). It’s a dark backstory for a movie that also features a guy getting kicked in the face while wearing a tuxedo. That tonal whiplash is exactly what makes High Risk (also known as Meltdown in some regions) so distinct. You’re laughing at Frankie Lone’s ridiculous Bruce Lee impersonations one minute, and the next, someone is getting thrown through a glass window in a shower of sparks and blood.
The Villain Problem
The Doctor is a top-tier villain because he’s just so genuinely unlikable. He’s not a "cool" bad guy. He’s a guy who blows up school buses. When Kit Li finally gets his hands on him, the payoff feels earned. Most modern action movies try to make the villain sympathetic or "grey." High Risk doesn't care about that. It wants you to hate him so that when the final showdown happens, the violence feels like catharsis.
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A Cultural Snapshot of 1995
You have to remember what was happening in 1995. Hong Kong was just two years away from the British Handover to China. The film industry was in a "work hard, play hard" frenzy. They were churning out films at an impossible rate.
This movie feels like a product of that era—unfiltered, slightly chaotic, and incredibly creative with a limited budget. It’s also a time when the rivalry between action stars was peak tabloid fodder. The jab at Jackie Chan wasn't subtle; audiences at the time knew exactly what Wong Jing was doing. It adds a layer of "inside baseball" knowledge that makes the viewing experience better if you're a martial arts nerd.
The Legacy of the "Meltdown" Title
Depending on where you live, you might know this movie as Meltdown. The US DVD releases often used this title to make it sound more like a generic disaster movie.
Regardless of the name, the film stands as a testament to Jet Li's versatility. He doesn't need a period-piece robe or a ponytail to be a compelling lead. He just needs a reason to look intense and some stairs to jump down.
People often overlook this one in favor of Hero or Once Upon a Time in China. That’s a mistake. Those are masterpieces, sure, but High Risk is fun. It’s a popcorn movie that doesn't ask you to think, except for when it’s asking you to realize how much it hates the Hollywood machine.
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How to Watch It Today
Finding a high-quality version of High Risk can be a bit of a trek. For a long time, the only way to see it was through muddy, cropped-to-4:3 aspect ratio transfers on budget DVDs.
- Check Boutique Labels: Companies like 88 Films or Eureka often pick up these 90s HK classics for Blu-ray restorations. If there's a 2K or 4K restoration out there, buy it. The colors in the Grandeur Hotel scenes are surprisingly vibrant when they aren't compressed into a 360p YouTube rip.
- Sub over Dub: Always. The Cantonese voice acting for Frankie Lone is essential for the comedy. The English dubs of this era were notoriously "hit or miss," and usually, they missed the satirical nuances of the dialogue.
- Context is King: Before you watch, look up the City Hunter production stories. Knowing that Wong Jing was actively trying to annoy Jackie Chan makes every scene with the "fake" actor ten times funnier.
High Risk represents a specific moment in time where Hong Kong cinema was both honoring and mocking the West. It’s a collision of stunt work, petty industry drama, and genuine 90s grit. If you haven't seen it in a decade, it’s time to go back. The "Doctor" is waiting, and Jet Li still has the fastest hands in the business.
Next Steps for Action Fans:
To truly appreciate the era, your next move is to track down the 1995 Hong Kong Film Awards winners to see what High Risk was up against. Specifically, look for the stunt choreography categories. After that, compare Jet Li's performance here to his work in The Bodyguard from Beijing (1994) to see how he refined the "modern urban hero" archetype before his move to American cinema. Finally, watch the final 20 minutes of High Risk back-to-back with the original Die Hard to see exactly which shots Wong Jing "borrowed" for his satirical take.