The action sequences in this film are utterly superb, among the best in Hong Kong's long history of fine action films. Yet it's a difficult film to recommend.
There are a number of real problems with the film. First and foremost is Wong Jing's decision to use the film to strike out at Jackie Chan. While I can understand that Wong and Chan did not work well together on City Hunter, and a case can certainly be made that Chan is overly fond himself and does, indeed, occasionally use stunt doubles (contrary to hype), nothing suggests that Chan is a coward and a raving lush. To suggest this isn't mere satire, it's direct character assassination. This is an incredibly bad strategic decision. All fans of Chan, all who only respect him, and perhaps even many who have only heard his name, will find this attack unnecessary in the extreme and profoundly upsetting.
And there is more in the film to upset the average viewer. The film is not only excessively violent (I rather like excessive violence), but depressingly so. Innocent women and children splat like flies against a window. Various efforts at heroism and decency go unrewarded or even punished. The whole atmosphere of the film is gaudy, dark, choppy, nasty.
Wong Jing has made many films, and some of them are even quite fun. But this isn't really one of them. Wong's history shows that he also doesn't take his profession very seriously, and many of his films suffer for it, getting terribly sloppy at times - and Melt Down is no exception. Which is unfortunate - when you have a stunt crew like this, action choreography as good as this, not to mention Jet Li at the top of his form, so much could have been done, yet it is here left unaccomplished.
Oh, well. Occasionally fun, occasionally disturbing; one last good thing to say of the film is that the end is surprisingly strong and satisfying. If only the same could be said of rest of the film.
There are a number of real problems with the film. First and foremost is Wong Jing's decision to use the film to strike out at Jackie Chan. While I can understand that Wong and Chan did not work well together on City Hunter, and a case can certainly be made that Chan is overly fond himself and does, indeed, occasionally use stunt doubles (contrary to hype), nothing suggests that Chan is a coward and a raving lush. To suggest this isn't mere satire, it's direct character assassination. This is an incredibly bad strategic decision. All fans of Chan, all who only respect him, and perhaps even many who have only heard his name, will find this attack unnecessary in the extreme and profoundly upsetting.
And there is more in the film to upset the average viewer. The film is not only excessively violent (I rather like excessive violence), but depressingly so. Innocent women and children splat like flies against a window. Various efforts at heroism and decency go unrewarded or even punished. The whole atmosphere of the film is gaudy, dark, choppy, nasty.
Wong Jing has made many films, and some of them are even quite fun. But this isn't really one of them. Wong's history shows that he also doesn't take his profession very seriously, and many of his films suffer for it, getting terribly sloppy at times - and Melt Down is no exception. Which is unfortunate - when you have a stunt crew like this, action choreography as good as this, not to mention Jet Li at the top of his form, so much could have been done, yet it is here left unaccomplished.
Oh, well. Occasionally fun, occasionally disturbing; one last good thing to say of the film is that the end is surprisingly strong and satisfying. If only the same could be said of rest of the film.