Customer Reviews
Hip-Hop/Kung Fu meets Romeo & Juliet! Or Should i say Han & Trish! - By: P.R, 23 Feb 2008 
I absolutely LOVE this movie! Jet as always is GREATin this movie & Aaliyah's acting is outstanding. This is defiantly a movie to watch! You automatically get drawn to the characters & fallin love with them all...WATCH THIS MOVIE!
*RIP* Aaliyah
old romeo loves julliet this romeo loves brother - By: vijay "jetli", 17 Oct 2007 Romeo must die is greate film,which includes all subjects like action,commedy,romance, love, drama,mafia,sentiment.This is the only film which more impress on asian films.In this film action sequences is excellent.Due to This film Telugu,Hindi,(Tollywood, Bollywood)there is so many changesin action sequences."romeo must die" & "theone" movies are mile stones of all jetli's movies.I am a big fan of jetliin the whole universe.In my life I have only one wish.Atleast one time I want meet jetli.Really jetli is legend of fights."romeo must die" & "theone" was my all time favorite films.thanks for this oppertunity.
Asians versus Blacks ..Shakespeare Style - By: Jay, 20 Apr 2007 
I was surprised I enjoyed much of this since martial arts movies are okay but nothing I really get into often. Jet Li plays the only likable characterin this Asians vs. Blacks gang story.
Some of the stunts were tremendous. Some were so over-the-top, so unbelievable that they were funny. The movie certainly isn't one to be taken seriously.
The wild action scenes, fairly involving story & nice colors & interesting sound track all make this movie a cut above the normal martial arts fare. The excellent surround sound & sharp picture make it a good one for DVD.
Hip-hop meets kung fu in a wild mix of genres - By: Daniel Jolley, 08 Nov 2003 
I’m a big fan of Jet Li, but I held off watching Romeo Must Die for a whilein fear that a strong romantic plot a la Shakespeare would take away from the martial arts action I crave. I needn't have worried. This movie is many things, but a love story it is not. The two main characters do come together despite their families' undeclared war on each other, but it is more an act of survival & friendship than romance. This is primarily an action movie sprinkled with both kung fu fights & gunfights; unofficially, Romeo Must Die is a hip-hop kung fu film. Of course, there has to be some comedy thrownin to lighten things up, & a rather nebulous plot that leaves one feeling a step behind the story at all times gives it that classic martial arts flavor.
One thing this movie has is a great cast, including the two new-comers of sorts. For Jet Li, this was his first English-language leading role (although it was his 26th film overall), & for Aaliyah, it was her first of what should have been many more movies were it not for her untimely death a couple of years ago. The supporting players are great, particularly Delroy Lindo as African-American crime boss Isaak O'Day, a man who is trying to go legit only to see a turf war erupt between his posse & that of a neighboring Chinese crime family. Anthony Anderson steals the show, though, as O'Day's hilarious goon Maurice, shucking & jiving his way throughout the entire film, always rising to the comic occasion no matter how many times he loses a fight. Jet Li is Han Sing, a former Hong Kong cop who went to jail to allow his crooked father & brother to flee the island for America; when he learns that his little brother has been rubbed out, he makes a most interesting & enjoyable prison breakin order to find his brother's killer. Aaliyah plays Trish O'Day, an independent woman who is ashamed of her family's illicit business dealings. Han ends up seeking her out as the best lead for finding his brother's killer, & they eventually form a certain bond & work together as the killings not only continue, they hit ever closer to home.
The story as it plays out is a little bit confusing & hard to predict, with an ending that turns out to be quite good indeed, but there's a good bit of entertainment to be had alongside all the senseless killing. Jet Li on the dance floor is a perfect example of what I'm talking about here. Han can pretend to know hip-hop, but his moves on the dance floor are significantly less impressive than his movesin a fight. Another great scene involves Han being attacked by a female martial artist; while he refuses to hit a woman, he comes up with a pretty handy dandy way of kicking her to the curb like she deserves. Then there is Jet Li's football scene, wherein his character takes the thoroughly American game to a whole new level. This leads me into one problem I have with the film, though. Romeo Must Die, from the producer of The Matrix, suffers from The Matrix Syndrome, using wires to orchestrate acrobatic stunts for no reason whatsoever. Things go so far here as to introduce "ultra pain mode" shots where we suddenly zoom inside a person's body to see the reaction to a punch. There's just no need for Jet Li to fly through the air; the fact that he can take out every manin a large room without ever setting foot on the ground might sound cool, but it really takes something away from the otherwise gritty feel of the film.
Romeo Must Die is really an odd mix of martial arts, hip-hop flavor, comedy, action, you name it. The soundtrack gives it a driving pulse you won't findin many films of this type, making this a movie that fans of several genres can enjoy. There is plenty of action, although Jet Li's martial arts skills aren't put to good use nearly as much as I would have preferred. The DVD is absolutely loaded with extra features: theatrical trailers, 3 music videos, 13 behind-the-scenes featurettes & interviews, & even more goodies for DVD-ROM owners. It's a very enjoyable film, but its mix-and-match genre outfit leaves it unable to wholly satisfy fans of any one genre.
Jet Li breaks the laws of gravity again! - By: , 16 May 2003 Romeo Must Die was Jet Li's 2nd American film as he was previously seenin Lethal Weapon 4, playing a villain. Butin RMD he is playing the lead role as 'Han Sing' a former police officerin jailin Hong Kong after helping his Brother & Father escape from the law. Whilein jail, Han hears his Brother has been murderedin America & decides he must escape to investigate his death....
RMD isn't a bad film, but it didn't live up to my expectations that I have come to expect from a Jet Li movie. The problem is the story is predictable & shallow at times, its does however move along at a nice pace & will interest you until the end. The film's name is kind of misleading as it only shares really one similarity with Shakespeare's play (two people form a relationship that both families oppose)
Directed by former Cinematographer Andrzej Bartkowiak, the film has a hip & stylish feel to it. The fight scenes, choreographed by Hong Kong action master Corey Yeun, are all nicely done quite glossyin some cases with its neat camera angles & visual effects (x-ray sight). While the action is ultimately satisfying, they are somewhat spoiled by the OTT use of wirework. It may be fine for such films like 'Matrix' or 'Once upon a timein China', but for a modern urban setting with no explanation on how Li can do his impossible kicks?
On the acting side, Li plays his character (Han Sing) well enough, but being that RMD was then his first full english speaking film as the lead, he doesn't say much, short sentences & a couple of words at any one time. But he does oozes charm whenever he is on screen. R'n'B star Aaliyah (who sadly diein a plane crash 2 years after RMD was filmed) made her then movie debutin it as Li's love interest & does a decent job playing 'Trish O'Day'. While the two leads don't actually kissin the film, they do have genuine chemistry whenever there both on screen. There's good support from Isaiah Washington, Anthony Anderson & Delroy Lindo. Rap star DMX also makes an apperancein a small role.
To my surprise the lovely Francoise Yip, most famous for starringin Jackie Chan film 'Rumblein the Bronx' & Jet Li's 'Black Mask' makes a brief apperance as the 'biker babe' who fights against Li & Aaliyah.
Overall RMD has more highs then lows & so its worth a look for anybody who enjoys a glossy action film. If you loved RMD & want more of the same, watch 'Cradle 2 the Grave' which was releasein the cinema earlier this year (2003). You could also try Jet Li's older Hong Kong stuff like the stunning 'Fist of Legend', most of them are much superior to his current US filmsin my opinon.
