Stars: Jet Li, Isaiah Washington, Russell Wong, Delroy Lindo, Aaliyah, Tong Lung, Francoise Yip, DMX, Anthony Anderson, Edoardo Ballerini, DB Woodside

Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak

Summary: An ex-cop, Romeo, investigates a murder which brings him into contact with the daughter of an American mob boss, Juliet. Neither side approves of the romance which follows...

ROMEO MUST DIE is the story of fathers and sons, of the importance of blood, of star-crossed lovers willing to risk their lives for their love. Two warring families, one Chinese, one African American, are fighting for control of the Oakland waterfront. It's an eye for an eye as members of each gang keep turning up dead--including the son of Ch'u Sing, the Chinese gang leader, which escalates the war to epic proportions. Into this fray comes Han Sing (Jet Li), Ch'u's other son, a cop who has escaped from a Hong Kong prison where he was serving time for not arresting his father and brother. Han soon becomes a little too friendly with Trish O'Day (Aaliyah), the daughter of Isaak O'Day (Delroy Lindo), the leader of the African American gang. The growing romance between Han and Trish parallels the growing body count.
ROMEO MUST DIE is a fast-paced, hip-hop retelling of the classic Shakespeare tale. A thumping soundtrack and wicked special effects--including martial arts battles in which the fighters virtually fly through the air--add to the excitement. Jet Li and Aaliyah turn in fine performances laced with just the right amount of comedy. Director Andrzej Bartkowiak has a keen visual sense--he previously served as cinematographer on such films as THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, SPECIES, and SPEED--that pumps up such standard fare as car chases, prison breaks, and even a pickup football game. The film includes an awesome special effect that reveals a person's skeleton as he dies--it has to be seen to be believed.

WIN DVDs by rating this DVD

Average User Rating:

WIN DVDS by being amongst the first to review this DVD. Reviewing DVDs earns you bonus entries and lets you WIN DVDs!Please login before reviewing this DVD. If you're a new user, register for free and enter to WIN FREE DVDs!

Cinematographer Andrzej Bartkowiak, the cameraman behind Speed, Lethal Weapon 4, and The Devil's Advocate, makes his directorial debut with a lively but by-the-numbers film that mixes Hong Kong action pyrotechnics with gritty urban gang drama. Jet Li stars as a jailed cop named Han who hightails it to Oakland, California, to seek revenge for the gang-related murder of his brother. What he finds, though, is a fierce war between his father's syndicate and that of Isaak O'Day (Delroy Lindo) for control of the city's precious waterfront land, as both groups are trying to make a deal with a corrupt football-team owner to build a new stadium. The political shenanigans are basically just a backdrop for the kick-ass action, and to give Li a number of enemies to lock limbs with. It also provides him with a love interest, Trish (hip-hop star Aaliyah), who's O'Day's daughter and like Han, the only straight arrow in a family of crooked mobsters. Li and Aaliyah have a teasing, gentle chemistry, and when they're onscreen together, the movie lights up and glides along smoothly. Li even finds a way to work Aaliyah into one of his action set pieces, using her arms and legs to fight a female adversary because "I can't hit a girl!" However, when these two aren't onscreen (and that's a fair amount of the time) the movie plods along, despite a stately turn by Lindo and Isaiah Washington and Russell Wong as two family allies who may not be as loyal as they seem. Li's action, though, is still phenomenal as ever, from his prison breakout (as he takes out a platoon of guards--strung upside down by one leg) to a knockdown-dragout fight with the agile and dangerously sexy Wong. And despite the Romeo and Julietovertones, this is one mighty chaste romance, albeit one with a happy ending for the star-crossed lovers. --Mark Englehart, Amazon.com

Aspect Ratio:	2.35 Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Making Romeo Must Die Documentary, 3 Music Videos, Action Scene Mini Documentaries, Inside The Visual Effects Process, Diary Of A Legal Mad Bomber Special Effects Man, Anatomy Of A Stunt, The Sound Stage, Interactive Game A Martial Arts Experience, Web Events, Cha
Subtitles:	Arabic, Bulgarian, English, Romanian
Year:	2000
Release Date:	April 9, 2001
Runtime:	110 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	D 018128
Keywords:	Die, Martial, Wide, Screen, Must, Romeo, Arts
Genre:	Martial Arts