In 2000, Jet Li’sRomeo Must Dieoffered an action-packed reinvention of William Shakespeare’sRomeo & Juliet. The late 1990s saw Hollywood embrace Hong Kong filmmakers and stars, as American action movies began to grow stale.The Matrixis the most prominent example of a blockbuster being infused with this Hong Kong style, but there was alsoRush HourandThe Replacement Killers. Martial arts iconJet Li made his American movie debutas the villain ofLethal Weapon 4before producer Joel Silver gave Li his very own action vehicle.
Romeo Must Diefrom 2000 cast Li as ex-cop Han, who returns to America to investigate his brother’s death. His Triad father is also feuding with an African American gang, which makes things awkward when Han forms a romantic connection with Trish (Aaliyah), the daughter of the rival gang’s leader.Romeo Must Diewas a big hit, grossing over $91 million(viaBox Office Mojo), while the late, great Aaliyah’s tie-in single “Try Again” also topped the charts.
Romeo Must Die Is A Play On Romeo & Juliet
William Shakespeare should have added a martial arts fight or two himself
IfRomeo Must Die’ssetup rings a bell, that’s becausethisJet Li movieis the loosest possible adaptation ofRomeo & Juliet.It’s all there, including the star-crossed lovers and feuding families; the film has significantly more martial arts battles, however. In truth, the film is a very surface-level take on Shakespeare’s play, and while the feud between Han and Trish’s family plays a part, the character and plot dynamics are quite different.
Romeo Must Dieis one of several Hollywood productions around this era, including Baz Luhrmann’sRomeo + Julietor10 Things I Hate About You,that offered updated takes onWilliam Shakespeare’s plays. The Andrzej Bartkowiak-helmed action thriller won’t be much use to students trying to write an essay onRomeo & Juliet, but it is an entertainingly cheesy outing all the same.
Andrzej Bartkowiak later directed Jet Li and DMX in the 2003 action movieCradle 2 the Grave.
Sure, it’s dated in a lot of ways, from its flashy editing to gimmick “X-ray vision” fights, butRomeo Must Dieis hard to dislike. Li and Aaliyah have surprisingly good chemistry, the supporting cast (including Delroy Lindo and Anthony Anderson) is loaded with scene-stealers, and the fights themselves are well-executed.Despite its Shakespeare links, it aspires to be nothing more than a glossy time-wasterthat features some great battles and doesn’t tax the brain too hard.
Romeo Must Die Was A Box Office Success That Has Been Largely Forgotten
America was so ready for Jet Li’s leading man debut
Romeo Must Diewas shot for a relatively modest $25 million, but went on to gross over three times that amount. It helped that the film was coming after other Joel Silver-produced outings likeLethal Weapon 4andThe Matrix, so there was an appetite for action movies that fully embraced martial arts action. It didn’t hurt that the film featured huge recording artists like Aaliyah and DMX in the cast either, and the soundtrack was a chart topper that was loaded with bangers. Still,Romeo Must Diehas largely slipped through the cracks of timein the years since.
… Romeo Must Dieis neither over nor underrated.
25 years on, the film is rarely discussed, even among fans of Li. It might be best remembered for being the best showcase for Aaliyah’s acting talent and the promise she held as a performer.Romeo Must Dieis a fine, late Wednesday night action flick, but the simple reason it’s largely forgottenis that it’s simply… fine. The fights are well-staged (particularly the fiery showdown between Han and Russell Wong’s Kai), but there’s nothing iconic either. The same goes for the story and comedy; it works, but it’s nobody’s finest hour either.
The film will be nostalgic for people of a certain age, butRomeo Must Dieis neither over nor underrated. It’s a product of its era that still entertains over 20 years later, but it’s not even in the same area code as something likeThe Matrix.
Jet Li’s Performance Was The High Point
Li is his own special effect in Romeo Must Die
Jet Li absolutely stoleLethal Weapon 4as the lead villain, so it was a given he needed to get a solo American movie.Romeo Must Diewas built from the ground up as a showcase for Li as both a martial artist and an actor, and he excels in both categories. Of course the action got all the focus when it came to promos for the film, but he’s also quite charming and funny as Han too.
If the film has a flaw, it’s that the romance between Han and Trish never fully gels. They feel like instant best friends instead of potential lovers, with Li later admitting on this website that a kiss between them was cut from the ending because it didn’t feel right(viaThe Jet Li Website). Granted, this was after Han witnessed his father’s death, so it probably wasn’t the right time for them to have a quick smooch. Still,reviews forRomeo Must Die(viaRotten Tomatoes) all praised Li’s work, and with good reason.
Aaliyah Was Praised For Her Performance Alongside Jet Li
Romeo Must Die was proof Aaliyah could have been a movie star
In addition to being Li’s debut as a Hollywood leading man,Romeo Must Diemarked the acting debut of singer Aaliyah. Trish is very much the emotional center of the story, and for a first-time performer, she does very well with some complicated scenes. Case in point would be the scene where Trish recalls a story from her childhood about her mother, andAaliyah does an excellent job conveying Trish’s heartbreak in what would have been a tricky scene for even a more experienced actor.
Again, she and Li have solid chemistry, too, and the singer received good notices for her turn. Aaliyah was set to followRomeo Must Dieby playing Zee inThe Matrix ReloadedandRevolutions, and had shot many scenes for the sequel until her tragic death in a plane crash in August 2001; Nona Gaye ultimately played the role in the sci-fi sequels.Romeo Must DieandQueen of the Damned(which released posthumously) were Aaliyah only two acting credits, and proof that she had the talent to become a major star.
The CGI Effects For The Action Scenes Were Groundbreaking But Haven’t Aged Well
Romeo Must Die’s CGI very much belongs to the early 2000s
Romeo Must Dieis one of those movies, likeMission: Impossible 2orSwordfish, that felt real cool during their initial release, only to have aged badlyin the years that followed.Romeo Must Diehas a lot of visual gimmicks that very much belong to this period, but it still holds together thanks to a talented cast. Unfortunately, this was also during a time when CG was being thrown into movies to “enhance” the action, but inRomeo Must Die’scase, they’re largely a distraction.
Jet Li followedRomeo Must DiewithThe One, where he replaced the originally cast Dwayne Johnson.
A lot of the fights use wirework and CGI to look more spectacular, though fans of Jet Li’s filmography will know he doesn’t need that kind of help. The X-ray vision stuff is fun and used sparingly, though the early 2000s CG on these shots looks a little wonky to modern eyes. Ultimately,Romeo Must Die’suse of digital effects isn’t a huge issue, though the technology was at such an early stage that it would have worked better without them.
