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Romeo Must Die (eng)
 Tough ex-cop Han Sung
travels from Hong Kong to America to find justice for his brother, who was murdered in an
ongoing battle between Chinese and African-American gangs. Han soon takes his brother's
place in the war and becomes entangled in the violence, until he falls in love with the
daughter of the rival gang's leader, Trish. For Trish, the final struggle is not about
revenge: it is about making the terror end before everyone else she cares for is dead.
Starring: Jet Li , Russell Wong , Aaliyah, Isaiah Washington . |
Review by : Chin Kit Sen
Click here for pictures
Ever
since the 1997 return of Hong Kong to China, more and more international Hong Kong movie
icons and stars have moved into the realm of Hollywood. Many of them have struggled and
are indeed still struggling with the new language they are now posed with: English.
Fortunately, these Hong Kong icons have other skills with which to fill the big screen,
and this is true with 'Romeo Must Die', starring Honk Kong's Jet Li, master of action and
Kung Fu.
Jet Li debuted in a Hollywood
production as the villain in Lethal Weapon 4 with only a handful of words for dialogue. In
'Romeo Must Die' he not only progresses on the front of dialogue but stars alongside
Aaliyah (Trish O' Day).
Jet Li plays Han Sing, an
ex-policeman wrongfully imprisoned for his association with his family, and father, a
crime Overlord. To escape the law, Han's family ran to the United States, leaving Han in a
Hong Kong prison. There, Han's father Ch'u Sing (Henry O) re-establishes himself and
gathers control over a sizeable portion of waterfront property, opposite the
African-American crime lord Isaac O'Day (Delroy Lindo). Together, they control the whole
waterfront area. Although territories are well established, beneath the surface a cold and
bitter rivalry ensued.
As a result of this underground
feud, Mr. Sing's younger son is killed. Enraged by this news, Han breaks out of his high
security Prison with cunning strategy and mind-blazing fury to avenge his brother's death.
Upon his arrival in the United
States he meets Trish (Aaliyah) by chance. As the plot uncovers, he finds that Trish and
himself are connected in more ways than one in this rivalry between the Chinese and
African-American sections.
The plot is predictable, but as most
action genres go, it's the effects thatcount. The fight sequences are terrifyingly
exciting to watch ala' the Matrix. No, they don't stop in mid-air and they don't fly, but
the team that brought you the effects in Matrix are doing it again, via cool mid-air spins
and kicks with the added x-ray effect of fatal tissue damage intra fight.
Though there's a scene which verges on comically unrealistic;
where Jet Li uses Aaliyah as a weapon after he finds out his assailant is a girl (and he
can't hit a girl! God forbid!), the fun and excitement is not taken away for a second!
Kudos to the editing team too for fitting in the tight scenes and change of angles crucial
in the fight sequences. The result is a suave and smooth interchange between action and
more action!
Though Jet Li gives an action performance deserving of ovation,
his English needs polishing. But who's to say that's good or bad? After all, isn't Arnold
Swarzenegger's one of the biggest stars of all time!
Aaliyah makes a smooth transition over from the music world after
having been nominated for a grammy twice. With the other well knowns, like Delroy Lindo
(Isaac O'Day, Trish's father), from Broken Arrow and the very funny Anthony Anderson
(Maurice), this movie boasts a solid star cast.
Watch this for the action if for nothing else. |
  
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