If you were browsing a Blockbuster in the late nineties, you probably saw a DVD cover featuring Jet Li looking intense in front of a massive explosion. That was High Risk, or as most Western fans know it, the Meltdown movie Jet Li starred in during a very strange, experimental era of Hong Kong cinema. It’s a weird one. Honestly, it’s one of the most chaotic, mean-spirited, and strangely brilliant action movies of its decade.
Released in 1995, Meltdown wasn't just another martial arts flick. It was a direct, middle-finger-extended parody of Jackie Chan. Yeah, you read that right. While the world saw Li and Chan as the two titans of kung fu, there was some serious industry friction happening behind the scenes. Director Wong Jing, known for being the "King of Trash" in Hong Kong for his prolific and often low-brow style, had a massive falling out with Jackie Chan after working on City Hunter.
The result? He made Meltdown.
Li plays Kit Li, a former bomb squad officer who watches his wife and child die in a horrific bus bombing orchestrated by a villain known as "The Doctor." Fast forward a few years, and Kit is a bodyguard/stunt double for a cowardly, womanizing action star named Frankie Lone. That’s the Jackie Chan dig. Jacky Cheung plays Frankie, and he leans into the parody so hard it’s almost uncomfortable—mimicking Jackie’s signature moves, his nose, and even his legendary "I do my own stunts" persona, only to reveal he’s actually a drunk who uses doubles for everything.
The Brutal Reality of the Meltdown Movie Jet Li Experience
Most people come to a Jet Li movie for the wushu. They want the grace he showed in Once Upon a Time in China or the clinical precision of Fist of Legend. But Meltdown is different. It’s a Die Hard riff. It takes place almost entirely within a luxury hotel (the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, essentially) during a high-stakes heist.
The action isn't just "kicking and punching." It’s "driving a car through a skyscraper window and impaling villains on glass shards" kind of action. It's loud. It's messy.
There is a specific scene involving a helicopter and the hotel's top floors that remains one of the most practical, "how did they not kill the stuntmen" sequences in mid-90s cinema. Since CG was still incredibly expensive and mostly terrible in 1995 Hong Kong, what you see is what you get. When the glass shatters, it's real glass. When the fire erupts, Jet Li is actually standing uncomfortably close to the heat.
The pacing is breathless. One minute you’re watching a slapstick comedy bit where Frankie Lone tries to hide his cowardice from a reporter, and the next, you’re watching Kit Li methodically dismantle a room full of mercenaries. It’s this tonal whiplash that makes the Meltdown movie Jet Li fans talk about so divisive. Some love the grit; others find the comedy too jarring.
✨ Don't miss: Why ASAP Rocky F kin Problems Still Runs the Club Over a Decade Later
Why the Jackie Chan Parody Matters
You can’t talk about this movie without talking about the shade being thrown.
Frankie Lone’s father in the movie is a direct caricature of Jackie’s real-life father. The movie goes out of its way to suggest that "The Dragon" (Jackie's nickname) is a fraud. It’s widely rumored in HK film circles that Wong Jing was so annoyed by Jackie’s ego during City Hunter that he used this entire film as a $5 million revenge plot.
But here is the kicker: Jet Li is the "straight man" in this circus.
While Jacky Cheung is doing his best Jackie Chan impression, Li is playing the role with a somber, almost depressive weight. He’s a man with PTSD. Every time he hears a ticking clock, he freezes. It’s actually one of Li’s more nuanced physical performances because he has to balance his legendary speed with the character’s psychological trauma.
A Masterclass in 90s Practical Effects
Let’s talk about the hotel lobby fight.
In modern movies, a car flying through a lobby would be a digital asset. In Meltdown, they actually rigged a vehicle to fly through the set. There’s a certain weight to the impact that you just don't get anymore. The choreography, handled by Corey Yuen (who later did The Transporter), blends traditional martial arts with "gun-fu" and environmental combat.
Kit Li uses whatever is around him. A wire. A piece of furniture. A bomb.
🔗 Read more: Ashley My 600 Pound Life Now: What Really Happened to the Show’s Most Memorable Ashleys
The villain, The Doctor (played by Kelvin Wong), is genuinely terrifying because he isn't a martial artist; he’s a strategist. He represents the shift in 90s action where the threat wasn't just "who is better at karate," but "who is willing to blow up a building full of people." The final showdown isn't a long, drawn-out duel on a mountaintop. It’s a desperate, bloody scramble in a burning room.
The Global Legacy of High Risk
If you’re looking for this movie today, you might get confused by the titles.
- High Risk (The original HK title)
- Meltdown (The US/International release title)
- Jet Li’s The Defender (Sometimes confused with The Bodyguard from Beijing, but occasionally mislabeled on streaming)
Despite the confusing branding, the Meltdown movie Jet Li starred in became a cult classic in the West through the "Grey Market" VHS trade. Long before Netflix, martial arts nerds would trade bootleg tapes of this movie to see the "Jackie Chan parody."
When it finally got a proper DVD release in the early 2000s, it was edited. Some of the more "Hong Kong" humor—which can be pretty crass—was trimmed for Western sensibilities. If you want the real experience, you have to track down the uncut Cantonese version. The subtitles are often hilariously bad (the "Engrish" era), but the energy is palpable.
Is it Li's best movie? Probably not. Hero or Fearless take that crown for most. But is it his most entertaining?
Honestly, it might be.
It represents a time when Hong Kong cinema was fearless. They didn't care about "brand safety" or offending other stars. They just wanted to make the biggest, loudest, most kinetic movie possible. They succeeded.
💡 You might also like: Album Hopes and Fears: Why We Obsess Over Music That Doesn't Exist Yet
How to Watch and What to Look For
If you're going to dive into Meltdown this weekend, do yourself a favor and keep an eye on the stunt work during the elevator sequence. It's a masterclass in tension.
Also, look at the way the movie handles its female leads. Chingmy Yau, a staple of Wong Jing films, plays a reporter who is actually competent—a rarity for the genre at the time. She provides the emotional bridge between the slapstick of Frankie Lone and the stoicism of Kit Li.
Essential Takeaways for Fans
If you're a collector or a casual viewer, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding the Meltdown movie Jet Li legacy:
- The Jackie Chan Feud: The parody is the soul of the movie. If you don't know Jackie's public persona from the 90s, half the jokes will fly over your head.
- The "Die Hard" Connection: This is Hong Kong’s answer to John McClane. It’s a "trapped in a building" thriller through and through.
- The Tone: Expect some dark stuff. This movie kills off characters you wouldn't expect and features some pretty grim imagery regarding the opening bombing.
- The Stunts: This was the peak of Corey Yuen’s "pre-Hollywood" choreography. It’s faster and more dangerous than what Li did in Lethal Weapon 4.
To truly appreciate this era of Jet Li's career, you need to view Meltdown as a bridge. It’s the bridge between his period-piece wushu films and his eventual transition to Hollywood action hero. It showed he could handle a modern setting, a gun, and a gritty storyline just as well as he could handle a broadsword and a silk robe.
Next Steps for the Action Cinephile
To get the most out of your viewing, track down the Dragon Dynasty DVD release if you can find it. It features some of the best commentary tracks available for this era of film. If you're streaming, ensure you aren't watching a heavily censored version, as the "Meltdown" cut often removes the vital context of the opening scene which sets up Kit Li's entire motivation. Once you've finished Meltdown, watch Jackie Chan’s City Hunter immediately after. You’ll see exactly why Wong Jing was so frustrated—and why Meltdown feels like such a specific, pointed response to that production. Comparing the two is like watching a public argument between two masters of their craft, played out through stuntmen and pyrotechnics. It's a piece of film history that is as loud as it is fascinating.