Romeo Must Die
| Year: | 2000 |
| Production Co: | Silver Pictures |
| Studio: | Warner Bros |
| Director: | Andrzej Bartkowiak |
| Producer: | Joel Silver |
| Writer: | Mitchell Kapner/Eric Bernt/John Jarrell |
| Cast: | Jet Li, Aaliyah, Isiah Washington, DMX, Delroy Lindo, Anthony Anderson |
The first of Joel Silver's self-styled 'hip urban action trilogy' directed by former DoP Bartkowiak.
The Internet Movie Database plot rundown reads thus; 'An avenging cop seeks out his brother's killer and falls for the daughter of a businessman who is involved in a money-deal with his father.'
It could be a bad daytime soap opera episode, but with trash-talking Silver, star Li's blank stare and martial artist prowess and Yuen Wo Ping-style stunt work (he wouldn't join the unofficial franchise until later) it's made hip, urban and cool as promised.
Like a dish you get at a funky restaurant fusing Asian and Cajun the tone, music and attitude lifts all the most photogenic bits from both urban gangsta and Asian culture and it's a massive victory of style over substance. If you see it for the story rather than the effects-heavy fights, you deserve to be disappointed.
The Internet Movie Database plot rundown reads thus; 'An avenging cop seeks out his brother's killer and falls for the daughter of a businessman who is involved in a money-deal with his father.'
It could be a bad daytime soap opera episode, but with trash-talking Silver, star Li's blank stare and martial artist prowess and Yuen Wo Ping-style stunt work (he wouldn't join the unofficial franchise until later) it's made hip, urban and cool as promised.
Like a dish you get at a funky restaurant fusing Asian and Cajun the tone, music and attitude lifts all the most photogenic bits from both urban gangsta and Asian culture and it's a massive victory of style over substance. If you see it for the story rather than the effects-heavy fights, you deserve to be disappointed.