Romeo Must Die *** (2000, Jet Li, Aaliyah, Isaiah Washington) – Classic Movie Review 2204

Director Andrjez Bartkowiak’s 2000 action thriller focuses on the Romeo and Juliet plot as two rival Asian and African American families on the US West Coast are locked in a fierce turf battle vying for control of Oakland’s waterfront.

When the first casualty is the Asian warlord’s son Po, the gang war becomes lethal. News of the murder gets back to Po’s brother Han (Jet Li), a legendary ex-cop now in a Hong Kong jail. Han must escape and declare war himself.

Jet Li takes the title role in this modern-day retelling of the celebrated Shakespeare tragedy, which sees the star-cross’d lovers disapproved of from all angles, leading to all manner of high-kicking hi-jinks.

This fast and furious, all-action martial arts thriller from Joel Silver, the producer of The Matrix, boasts gravity-warping fight scenes, cool visual effects and an all-star urban soundtrack.

Also in the cast are Aaliyah as Trish O’Day, Russell Wong as  Kai Sing, Isaiah Washington, Delroy Lindo, DMX, D B Woodside, Henry O, Terry Chen and Anthony Anderson.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2204

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