Romeo Must Die – action filled, stunt-tastic and special FX galore with a brilliant soundtrack – need anymore reasons to see this?
The DVD itself comes cased in a regular DVD case and the artwork on the front is some nice black and white photography showing the faces of both Jet Li and Aaliyah. ... Read review
Cinematographer Andrzej Bartkowiak, the cameraman behindSpeed,Lethal Weapon 4, andThe ... more
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 star...
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Cinematographer Andrzej Bartkowiak, the cameraman behindSpeed,Lethal Weapon 4, andThe ... more
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 star...
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They've got the weapons. They've got the posses. And they've got no chance against former ... more
Hong Kong cop Han Sing. Gravity-warping martial arts, cool visual effects and an all-star music track combine in this revved-up action movie from producer Joel Si...
Cinematographer Andrzej Bartkowiak, the cameraman behindSpeed,Lethal Weapon 4, andThe ... more
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 ofhis 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 theRomeo and Julietovertones, this is one mighty chaste romance, albeit one with a happy ending for the star-crossed lovers. --Mark Englehart, Amazon.com
Postage & Packaging:£2.69 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Cinematographer Andrzej Bartkowiak, the cameraman behindSpeed,Lethal Weapon 4, andThe ... more
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 theRomeo and Julietovertones, this is one mighty chaste romance, albeit one with a happy ending for the star-crossed lovers. --Mark Englehart, Amazon.com
Postage & Packaging:£1.21 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Martial Arts - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Bruce Lee, Sho Kosugi, James Ryan, Jim Kelly, Jimmy Wang Yu, Bolo Yeung, Christopher Lee
Production Year: 1985 - Martial Arts - Director: Cory Yuen - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Kurt McKinney, J.W. Fails, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Kathie Sileno, Peter 'Sugarfoot' Cunningham
Advantages: good story/acting, excellent soundtrack, bursting with special features Disadvantages: *slight* predictability though not too much to put you off the movie itself. Game on PC enhancement not worth playing.
Romeo Must Die – action filled, stunt-tastic and special FX galore with a brilliant soundtrack – need anymore reasons to see this?
The DVD itself comes cased in a regular DVD case and the artwork on the front is some nice black and white photography showing the faces of both Jet Li and Aaliyah. The title of the DVD is written in a red graffiti-ish scrawl and really stands out on the dark background. The usual movie details and a couple ... ...this yet.
Romeo Must Die has been marketed as a fusion of Hip Hop and Kung Fu and though rather odd, I feel the combination has worked superbly throughout this film.
What attracted me to this the most was that this was the film debut of (the now late) Aaliyah who happens to be one of my fave RnB stars. The soundtracks to the film are awesome and being from the Hip Hop genre adds to the atmosphere of gang warfare which is theme ... more
Romeo Must Die – action filled, stunt-tastic and special FX galore with a brilliant soundtrack – need anymore reasons to see this?
The DVD itself comes cased in a regular DVD case and the artwork on the front is some nice black and white photography showing the faces of both Jet Li and Aaliyah. The title of the DVD is written in a red graffiti-ish scrawl and really stands out on the dark background. The usual movie details and a couple of still clips from the movie are displayed on the back against a red background.
STARRING:
Han Sing - JET LI Trish O'Day - AALIYAH Mac - ISAIAH WASHINGTON Kai Sing - RUSSELL WONG Silk - DMX Isaak O'Day - DELROY LINDO Colin - D.B. WOODSIDE Maurice - ANTHONY ANDERSON
Directed by ANDRZEJ BARTKOWIAK
Cert. 15
Approx. Length: 110 Mins
Now onto the film itself. This is basically about two rival gangs (one Black and one Chinese) fighting for turf on the same territory for a new property deal. Things get serious however, when the son of the leader of the Chinese gang is murdered. Suspicions and accusations are rife. This is where Han (Jet Li) comes in. We are introduced to the character in a Hong Kong prison and upon hearing about the news of his brother he makes a dramatic escape (with a great fight scene) to hunt down and avenge those responsible. Incidentally it turns out that the reason Han was in prison was because he came forward to protect his father’s swindlings in the past. So now the focus of the story moves to the US in Oakland where all the action’s at! It is here that a coincidental meeting between Han and Trish (Aaliyah) from the black gang takes place and a new friendship is formed. The new friendship causes a few fight scenes where Trish’s bodyguards and her father’s associates (Mac and Maurice played by Isaiah Washington and Anthony Anderson respectively) are after Han and these provide some light entertainment. Anderson provides the comic relief to the movie which is needed to lighten the tone of the whole gang warfare going on in the background. His character Maurice is often the subject of Han’s various stunts which enable him to escape with style. The story continues whereby both Han and Trish join forces to get to the bottom of the murders in their families. I shall say no more as I don’t want to ruin the film for those who haven’t seen this yet.
Romeo Must Die has been marketed as a fusion of Hip Hop and Kung Fu and though rather odd, I feel the combination has worked superbly throughout this film. What attracted me to this the most was that this was the film debut of (the now late) Aaliyah who happens to be one of my fave RnB stars. The soundtracks to the film are awesome and being from the Hip Hop genre adds to the atmosphere of gang warfare which is theme of this film. Hip Hop star DMX shows up for a few minutes but his role is quite insignificant and I feel he only appears because he is featured in one of the main soundtracks to this film alongside Aaliyah in "Come back in one piece." This also adds further appeal of the movie to DMX, Aaliyah and Hip Hop fans in general as potential audience and I believe it to be one of the factors which make the combination of Hip Hop with Kung Fu so successful.
Hip Hop aside, Jet Li also stars in this movie and is involved in many little stunts throughout. The stunts and special effects used are also highly commendable but you’d come to expect that especially as this is work of Joel Silver - the same producer who worked on The Matrix. There are numerous stunts throughout the film and these are for the most part original and even comical at times with a “kung fu football scene”. Special effects are also plentiful and there’s a great scene where some people are thrown out of their apartment and straight into the sea/ocean front below. In the fight scenes I also noticed some sort of an x-ray filter device being used to show which parts of Li’s opponent’s body parts were affected. Looks painful. If you’ve seen The Matrix I’d say it reminds me slightly of the effect used to show the signal transmitted through the phone line yet it manages to maintain its originality because it’s being used in a fight scene and also the effect is somewhat different.
The only criticism of the movie I could make is the fact that I found it a bit too predictable for my liking. Yes! I was the annoying bugger sitting there and guessing out loud how the plot would unfold! However, it didn’t really mar the movie itself as all the performances were good and the roles weren’t really too stretching for the actors/actresses involved. The roles of Trish and Han were moulded around the actors from the start and there are good performances also from the supporting cast. The special effects, stunts and soundtracks made up for the slight predictability and you couldn’t fault these at all.
I will mention a little about the soundtracks as they really enhance this movie and as stated earlier help to build up the atmosphere. Aaliyah has contributed four tracks to this amazing soundtrack, which definitely helps in stamping it as “her” movie. Other great RnB and Hip hop acts have also contributed. The main soundtracks featured (in order that they are heard) are: This Is a Test by Chante Moore It Really Don’t Matter by NY Confidential Perfect Man by Destiny’s Child Rose in a Concrete World by Joe I Don’t Wanna by Aaliyah Are You Feelin’ Me? by Aaliyah Try Again by Aaliyah Somebody’s Gonna Die by Dave Bing Come Back in One Piece by Aaliyah and feat. DMX
My personal faves are….well…all of them! Hehe ok ok I like them all but Joe’s Rose in a Concrete World, Destiny’s Child’s Perfect Man and Aaliyah’s I Don’t Wanna. The remaining three Aaliyah tracks are also top! Didn’t leave out much there now did I??
As part of the extras included in the DVD it is great to see a couple of the videos to the soundtracks mentioned above. Music videos you can watch in full are Aaliyah’s “Try Again” and Aaliyah’s and DMX’s “Come Back in One Piece”. The making of Aaliyah’s “Try Again” video is also included.
There are many more extras included in this DVD which certainly makes it more enjoyable and value for money. Other special features include:
MAKING ROMEO MUST DIE: Behind the scenes documentary. CRAFT MINI DOCUMENTARIES: Anatomy of a stunt, inside the visual effects and soundstage. ACTION SCENE MINI DOCUMENTARIES PERONALITY PROFILES: Showcasing Aaliyah, Jet Li and Anthony Anderson
Alongside the music videos, I particularly enjoyed watching the action scene mini documentaries and it was interesting to see how the stunts were directed and where the ideas came from. All main action scenes were included rather than a few which was nice.
If you thought the extras were good, there’s also an additional set of extras included specifically for use/viewing via a DVD rom which means basically you need to have this running on your PC in order to access these extra enhancements. These enhancements are:
A MARTIAL ARTS EXPERIENCE – this is basically a game in which you can fight your way through levels. I did try this as it sounded pretty good but was disappointed by the game as it involved you (who happened to be a pair of hands on the screen) fighting an opponent. Apparently apart from punch, you could also kick your opponent though I saw no legs. It wasn’t very realistic and quite frankly this bored me very quickly and I can confidently say it is the worst part of the DVD. Having said that though, the purpose of the DVD was certainly not game play; so it shouldn’t be much of a deciding factor if you’re considering buying this.
ORIGINAL THEATRICAL WEBSITE – This is the official website which is permanently “housed” on the disc. Web links are also included. A great resource for the ultimate fan of this movie!
Note: Minimum specs required to access these from your pc are:
Microsoft Windows 95 or above DVD drive 166 MHz Pentium processor 32 MB RAM Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 or higher. (This is included on the disk for convenience.)
Some of the features require an internet connection.
Unfortunately these DVD rom enhanced features do not work on Mac’s.
This DVD can be brought from places like HMV, Virgin megastores, WHSmiths or many online dealers like amazon, cd-wow and streetsonline. I bought mine on special offer from WHSmiths for about £10 and consider it money well spent and well worth it for what’s on offer here.
I would definitely recommend renting it out at least.
So to end with, if you like action, tons of stunts, Hip Hop and special effects this is a must see movie. Don’t let the Hip Hop put you off though – as if it would!
Thanks for the read. Your comments appreciated as always :)
Advantages: Fun, loads of action, few good one-liners plus a couple of humorous moments and an interesting use of X-ray effects during fight scenes Disadvantages: Poor plot, weak acting, scripting etc. and it's dumber than hell...but in this genre who cares? :oP~
...• The Movie •
Romeo Must Die was Jet Li's breakthrough movie into mainstream Western cinema. Yes, I know before then he had appeared in Lethal Weapon 4 but let's be honest, no one was paying much attention to him or knew that back in his homeland he already had around 20-something movies under his belt and was one of their biggest stars when they saw that now were they? Mention he was in it now to people and they're like "oh that was Jet ... ...in hope eh?
Anyhoo, Romeo Must Die is basically yet another reworking of the Romeo & Julliet thing with a whole heap of martial arts action thrown into the mix. We have a black gang and a chinese gang warring over a bit of docklands turf and a few contrivances later we end up with the son of the Chinese gang leader(Jet Li) getting involved with the daughter(Aaliyah) of the black gang leader(Delroy Lindo). Trouble and strife ensue, lots of gun play, ...
wampyrii 01.02.2003 (03.02.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Romeo Must Die (DVD)
Advantages: The fight scenes are an excellent showpiece for Jet Li's awesome talents Disadvantages: The poor plot and infrequent action land this firmly in the mediocre
Romeo Must Die is Shakespearean influenced martial art film set in a trendy hip-hop style backdrop that stars the unbelievably talented martial artist Jet Li and is, unfortunately, decidedly average. The plot is convoluted and almost nonsensical (as is often the case in this genre), the fight scenes are few and far between and Jet Li, beyond his awesome fighting skills, appears to be a limited actor. Put simply when the best thing in a movie is a ... ...original and impressive filmmaking. Romeo Must Die is sadly an unwelcome return to the Steven Seagal school of filmmaking. Anyway enough ranting what’s it all about.
The plot is flimsily ‘based’ on its namesake Romeo and Juliet or perhaps more realistically West Side Story and concerns two rival factions, the African Americans and the Chinese mobs who control the waterfront in Oakland. When the land they control becomes the potential ...
Mercury 21.06.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Romeo Must Die (DVD)
ROMEO MUST DIE -------------------- The film is based on two feuding families the first is a Chinese family, who are set deep in tradition and history, headed by the cold-blooded Kai (Russell Wong) and the second is a Black American family, led by (Delroy Lindo) the deep down good-hearted Isaack O’Day, who are trapped in gangland style family war over control of the city’s precious waterfront land, the proposed site of a new stadium. For which much ... ...The story borrows the famous Romeo name and does not really have anything to do with the famous story – but there are more than enough twists in the tale to keep you glued to the screen with all the characters being both absorbing and believable and very well defined. ACTING Jet Li is a really big star when it comes to fans of martial arts movies like myself and like the matrix which is also made by the same people he brings that Eastern touch to ...
StreetWise 06.11.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Romeo Must Die (DVD)
Advantages: Fleeting moments of cool Jet Li action Disadvantages: Not enough moments of cool Jet Li action.
...a theme of family loyalty. Romeo Must Die has more double crosses than a Playtex factory, and family issues? More than a 12 hour Jerry Springer marathon. So what went wrong?
Jet Li (Lethal Weapon 4) stars as Han Sing, and comes to America (after an impressive jail break) to avenge the death of his brother. Ching! Check the “family loyalty” box. Meanwhile, the late R’n’B star Alliyah (as Trish O’Day) is lamenting her ... ...And this is where the Romeo part of the title comes in, because this is the loosest retelling possible of the Romeo & Juliet story – warring families and (potential) lovers from both sides. And that’s where the similarities end, as the families war against each other and Han gets closer to finding out who killed his brother. Trish is drawn further into the mix as her brother becomes a victim of the gang war.
Now, there are no surprises ...
peppersinclaire 02.10.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Romeo Must Die (DVD)
Advantages: Good stunts and fight scenes Disadvantages: Can't make up its mind what it wants to be
...Hop meets Martial Arts fusion, Romeo Must Die is an effective action movie that is genuinely very entertaining.
The film portrays two warring gangland families - one black, the other Chinese - who are about to venture into a joint contract with a property developer. When the son of the Chinese family is found murdered, suspicion becomes rife as to who is responsible, which threatens the fragile peace between the two factions. Han Sing is another ... ...towards a modern-day rendition of Romeo And Juliet - but this is not a love story. The relationship that develops between the two lead characters is purely based on friendship, and I for one found them all the more likeable as a result. Fans of martial arts movies will certainly appreciate the fight sequences in Romeo, which utilise both skilful choreography, and visual effects - very much like the fight scenes in the Matrix. There are some very ...
LostWitness 11.06.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Romeo Must Die (DVD)
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in my opinion. Eric Tsang is a comedian in his home country...but it just seems as though his slapstick humour doesn't translate too well.
Normally this would work, as you may have seen in "Lethal Weapon", "Drive" and "Rush Hour", the actors are able to bounce of one another and create a very humourous relationship throughout the movie.....but in this case, Jet Li is just too flat when it comes to acting, he's too serious for his own good.
I'd like to be able to say something nice about the movie, but it's difficult to praise it when its got some really heavy competition......and ultimately it is overshadowed by Jet Li's other films such as "RomeomustDie", "Black Mask" and "Once upon a Time in China"
But as always, Hong Kong Legends don't fail to make a nice DVD presentation, good qaulity picture and sound, and its got a fair ...
angelofdeff 12.10.2002 (15.10.2002)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Hitman
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...
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, Chat Room Access, Web Site Links
Aspect Ratio
2.35 Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Professional reviews
Review
"...ROMEO MUST DIE has a great look and an edgy feel....The film's kinetic energy is well-matched by Stanley Clarke and Timbaland's terrific score..." (Los Angeles Times, p.F5, 22/03/2000)
"...Russell Wong brings a malevolent energetic charm to gang member Kai, while Isaiah Washington exudes taut fury..." (Sight and Sound, p.62, 01/11/2000)
"...A style-drenched, kick-butt, music-fueled, Kung hop actioner that assiduously devotes itself to devising the most dazzling and inventive martial arts sequences..." (Variety, p.25-33, 20/03/2000)
DVD Description
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.
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