R E V I E W :    Meltdown 

Reviewed 7/5/01 | Background | Movie Review | DVD Review | Recommendation

 Background 

Columbia/TriStar / 1995 / 101 minutes
Directed by Wong Jing
Original script by Wong Jing
English-language dialogue by Brian Muir

High Risk was released in Hong Kong cinemas in 1995. I very much enjoyed the version released on DVD by Universe (click here to read my review from last December).

Recently Columbia/TriStar released a Region 1 only DVD. The changes begin with the title. High Risk clearly communicates the idea of high-rise suspense. Meltdown conveys burning rage (I suppose). Most notably, the Cantonese-language soundtrack was dropped, although the original release notes indicated that such a version would be included.

The notes below compare this version with the Universe release. If you have yet to see the film, I suggest you begin with the previous review for the sake of comparison. And please note that this review contains spoilers.

Movie: plot, performances, production, rating

Plot: A number of editing changes were made. Most appear to be quick snips. Individually, they alter the nature of each edited scene, usually to their detriment. Collectively, the changes shift the balance between action and comedy -- that was previously achieved quite effectively -- decidedly toward action.

Performances: Judging voice talent alone, the part of Frankie, played by Jacky Cheung, suffers the most. Cheung did amazing things with his voice -- basically he talked in the manner of the high-pitched yowls so common in 1970s dubbed kung fu movies. He was so over-the-top in his foolishness that you had to laugh at his intentionally bad imitation of Jackie Chan. This set up his late redemption fight scene -- you were rooting for him to somehow pull a victory from the jaws of defeat because he was such a lovable coward. All that is gone from the English-dubbed version. There is no comparable way to reproduce Cheung's vocal gymnastics in English. As a result, much of the comedy is lost. Jet Li's character doesn't get away clean, either. The English-speaking voice actor delivers his lines in a halting and stiff manner, which doesn't play well at all against the haunted look in Li's eyes. The voice actress for Charlie Yeung lacks any of the appealing qualities in the Cantonese version and just sounds whiny.

Production: The big change is in the musical score. The new score by Reuben Shelton and Jussi Tegelman leans heavily upon techno-beats and includes several rap songs. To my ear it is entirely forgettable.

Rating: Equivalent to Category IIB. The remastered Universe version of High Risk that I saw cut at least two scenes of explicit violence. Both of those cuts have been reinstated for this version, along with the helicopter dismemberment of bystanders referred to in Hong Kong Babylon. The small penis joke shot has been removed, however.

DVD: look, sound, subtitles, and features

Look: The letterboxed (1.66:1) presentation looks excellent. Black tones are deep, colors are vibrant, flesh tones look natural. Only a few imperfections are noticeable in the source print. It falls just a bit short, though, of looking like an expensive recent Hollywood blockbuster -- it lacks that vivid sharpness.

Sound: I listened to the DD 5.1 English audio track and it sounded very good (except for the voice acting and musical score, of course). The sound field was more expansive and the explosions and gun battles sounded more impressive. Also included are DD 2.0 tracks in English and French.

Subtitles: The removable yellow English subtitles are very easy to read and well timed, free of any grammatical errors. (To be more accurate, it is English for the deaf and hard of hearing, including descriptions of the action.) Also provided are Spanish subtitles. The subtitles on the Universe version were a major drawback, since they were non-removable (burned in) and white, and often lost in white backgrounds early in the film.

Features: A total of 32 chapters may be selected from a still-frame multi-page menu. Talent files are provided for Wong Jing, Jet Li, Jacky Cheung, Charlie Yeung, Yau Shuk Ching, and Valerie Chow. Home video release trailers are included for the film as well as Once Upon a Time in China I, II, and III (one trailer for all three), Red Dragon (yet to be released version of New Legend of Shaolin), Gorgeous, and The Prisoner (AKA Island on Fire). A Photo Gallery with Jet Li Trivia consists of 12 still frames from the film with information like Jet Li height, etc.

Buy, rent, or pass?

Pass. This version is not worth a purchase despite the improved look. Seek out and buy the Universe version.

 

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