High Risk (1995)

Yippee Ki Yay!

High Risk opens like Speed and transitions quickly to Die Hard with Jet Li playing it straight and Jacky Cheung playing it like a parody. Director Wong Jing and Jackie Chan had a falling out when making City Hunter and High Risk was Wong's payback, thinly veiling that Chan didn't do all his stunts and wasn't a great guy off screen through Cheung's character. Boy drama tops girl drama any day of the week!

Jet's character started out as a cop who was unable to save his wife and son from the evil Doctor. He left the force and became kung fu star Frankie Lone's bodyguard and stunt double. Before you can say Yippee Ki Yay---Jet, Frankie, Frankie's dad (Wu Ma!), an intrepid female reporter and a cop's sometime girlfriend became trapped inside the Granadur, make that Grandeur Hotel (spell check people!) with Hans Gruber, I mean The Doctor and a zillion minions who were there to steal a priceless Russian treasure.

There were plenty of explosions, fires, crashes, bloody deaths and snakes. Yes, snakes. What bad guy doesn't bring 100 snakes to a treasure heist, you know, just in case? Always better to be prepared, right?

This movie felt like a collision itself, with Jacky Cheung playing Frankie for laughs while Jet Li channeled his best John McClane completely all business. Real world kickboxing champion Billy Chow made for a properly menacing henchman. Kelvin Wong played The Doctor over the top and was more or less forgettable. Of the women Valerie Chow made an acceptable bad girl and Chingmy Yau did well as the reporter.

One of the problems, aside from the two movies in one, was that Jet Li's Lee Git was responsible for numerous civilian deaths through his use of a car and later helicopter that created grand damage in the building and on the ground. Cheung's mugging for the camera could also wear thin. Not really sure why Wong had Cheung channel his Bruce Lee imitation with the iconic yellow and black tracksuit and fight cries when it was Chan he was trying to skewer.

Corey Yuen's fight choreography was actually first rate when it came to hand to hand or lamp to sword combat. Li's fight with Ben Lam and Cheung's fight with Chow were both entertaining and creative. The gun fights were typical 90's fare where even when multiple bad guys were using automatic weapons they still couldn't hit the hero 15 feet away...numerous times..and even failed with a flame-thrower.

High Risk was ridiculous, especially when bodies that were obviously dummies were thrown off buildings or blown up, but Wong kept the pace and carnage coming fast and furious, thank goodness he hadn't seen that franchise at this time, and the movie did keep my attention even when it didn't seem to be making any sense. I would have preferred that they kept to one mood for the movie because I enjoyed Jet Li's scenes more than Cheung's. The best part about Cheung's scenes was that Wu Ma was often in them and I have a soft spot for the old kung fu movie veteran.

Wong Jing threw everything into a blender to see what would happen so if you are a Jet Li fan or want to see a movie poking fun at Jackie Chan or are curious what a comedic Hong Kong version of Die Hard would be, this might be one to try. If you are looking for a coherent plot and consistent quality acting, best to steer clear. This bonkers film is best viewed through a generous lens.




8/17/22

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