An adrenaline pounding martial arts action flick with a rival gang romance subplot, Romeo Must Die stars Jet Li--the high-kicking crown prince of Hong Kong kung fu movies and the bad guy from Lethal Weapon 4--as a reformed gangster out to avenge his brother's death. This MTV-minded festival of bullets and flying fists is a very slick affair, taking a cue from The Matrix for its high-octane fight sequences. But while it boasts an ambitious conspiracy narrative, "wow" 70mm photography and ante-upping action, the movie is hampered by gimmicky effects and a very dated soundtrack. Co-starring hip-hop singer Aaliyah (in the Juliet role), Delroy Lindo and Russell Wong, Romeo Must Die coulda been a contender, but ultimately isn't. Optional. (R. Blackwelder)
Romeo Must Die
Warner, 115 min., R, VHS: 109.99, DVD: $24.98 8/14/00
Romeo Must Die
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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