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Meltdown

Meltdown

List Price: $19.94
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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Stinging Satire of Jackie Chan, Laughed Thru the Whole Movie
Review: Though not what I'd expected, I laughed from beginning to end of this caustic diatribe. It is blatantly clear Jet Li and a lot of the HK crowd are upset about Jackie Chan's selling out to Hollywood. This DVD even offers evidence of such in its bonus materials.

If you are looking for reprisal of the Black Mask, Fist of Legend, Once Upon a Time in China, etc. look elsewhere. Li's intent is a wake-up call to Chan. Unfortunately, since this was filmed, Chan has gone on to such degradations as Shanghai Noon and the Rush Hour series. I can't understand why Chan prefers second tier stardom in the US to the legendary acclaim from his earnest, though comedic, work in HK film as his athletic career enters its twilight.

That said, this is a really funny film, albeit at Chan's expense. Spoof after spoof, and a ridiculous Die Hard reiteration, I was laughing and chuckling throughout. There's a kitsch factor, too, as it was shot looking as low budget as possible.

However, while Lethal Weapon 4 and Romeo Must Die don't entirely excuse Li from Hollywood pretensions, it isn't corollary to Chan's blackface antics. Jet Li is justifiably perturbed.

The special effects here are not very special, but certainly make for an entertaining experience. Certainly tongue-in-cheek. Equally funny were the portrayals of Chan's facial caricatures. It was a nice touch in the end to give Jackie's character a fight scene where he remembers his roots and shows a glimmer of the man that he was (and could be). The soliloquies are forceful and need no interpretation.

Though disappointed by Jackie Chan's recent efforts, I am a fan of both stars. Jet Li is amazing to behold and Jackie has been incredible for decades. This isn't the film for you if you want a modern martial arts extravaganza. If you want a big lump of cheese, visit your local video store or buy here!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: High Risk? Yes...yes it is!
Review: While not Jet Li's best film, this movie breaks taboo's that North American film companies don't have the nerve to break. In the first 10 minutes, a school bus full of children and women gets blown sky high! That's High Risk. The action is over the top, but that's the signature of Hong Kong action, and that's what I love about the genre. If you're tired of the boring, contrived American "action" films, definately see this film.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Jackie Cheung steals the show
Review: Yup, no doubt about it, Jackie Cheung is the real star here. Of course, Jet Li is supposed to be super hero number 1, but then again, he doesn't have a dead guy tearing his pants off either. There were only a couple of problems with the DVD, white subtitles! Come on guys! Put some effort into it. When I buy a DVD, I want quality that's better than the grainy Jet Li bootlegs I've been buying and I want to be able to read the subtitles atleast. And for crying out loud! Can't we get a decent translation? subtitling the movie with literal cantonese to english translations makes for some really odd dialog.


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