In 2000, Jet Li’s Romeo Must Die offered an action-packed reinvention of William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. The late 1990s saw Hollywood embrace Hong Kong filmmakers and stars, as American action movies began to grow stale. The Matrix is the most prominent example of a blockbuster being infused with this Hong Kong style, but there was also Rush Hour and The Replacement Killers. Martial arts icon Jet Li made his American movie debut as the villain of Lethal Weapon 4 before producer Joel Silver gave Li his very own action vehicle.

Romeo Must Die from 2000 cast Li as ex-cop Han, who returns to America to investigate his brother’s death. His Triad father is also feuding with an African American gang, which makes things awkward when Han forms a romantic connection with Trish (Aaliyah), the daughter of the rival gang’s leader. Romeo Must Die was a big hit, grossing over $91 million (via Box Office Mojo), while the late, great Aaliyah’s tie-in single “Try Again” also topped the charts.

Romeo Must Die Is A Play On Romeo & Juliet

William Shakespeare should have added a martial arts fight or two himself

If Romeo Must Die’s setup rings a bell, that’s because this Jet Li movie is the loosest possible adaptation of Romeo & Juliet. It’s all there, including the star-crossed lovers and feuding families; the film has significantly more martial arts battles, however. In truth, the film is a very surface-level take on Shakespeare’s play, and while the feud between Han and Trish’s family plays a part, the character and plot dynamics are quite different.

Romeo Must Die is one of several Hollywood productions around this era, including Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet or 10 Things I Hate About You, that offered updated takes on William Shakespeare’s plays. The Andrzej Bartkowiak-helmed action thriller won’t be much use to students trying to write an essay on Romeo & Juliet, but it is an entertainingly cheesy outing all the same.

Sure, it’s dated in a lot of ways, from its flashy editing to gimmick “X-ray vision” fights, but Romeo Must Die is hard to dislike. Li and Aaliyah have surprisingly good chemistry, the supporting cast (including Delroy Lindo and Anthony Anderson) is loaded with scene-stealers, and the fights themselves are well-executed. Despite its Shakespeare links, it aspires to be nothing more than a glossy time-waster that features some great battles and doesn’t tax the brain too hard.

Romeo Must Die Was A Box Office Success That Has Been Largely Forgotten

America was so ready for Jet Li’s leading man debut

Romeo Must Die was sH๏τ for a relatively modest $25 million, but went on to gross over three times that amount. It helped that the film was coming after other Joel Silver-produced outings like Lethal Weapon 4 and The Matrix, so there was an appeтιтe for action movies that fully embraced martial arts action. It didn’t hurt that the film featured huge recording artists like Aaliyah and DMX in the cast either, and the soundtrack was a chart topper that was loaded with bangers. Still, Romeo Must Die has largely slipped through the cracks of time in the years since.

25 years on, the film is rarely discussed, even among fans of Li. It might be best remembered for being the best showcase for Aaliyah’s acting talent and the promise she held as a performer. Romeo Must Die is a fine, late Wednesday night action flick, but the simple reason it’s largely forgotten is that it’s simply… fine. The fights are well-staged (particularly the fiery showdown between Han and Russell Wong’s Kai), but there’s nothing iconic either. The same goes for the story and comedy; it works, but it’s nobody’s finest hour either.

The film will be nostalgic for people of a certain age, but Romeo Must Die is neither over nor underrated. It’s a product of its era that still entertains over 20 years later, but it’s not even in the same area code as something like The Matrix.

Jet Li’s Performance Was The High Point

Li is his own special effect in Romeo Must Die

Jet Li absolutely stole Lethal Weapon 4 as the lead villain, so it was a given he needed to get a solo American movie. Romeo Must Die was built from the ground up as a showcase for Li as both a martial artist and an actor, and he excels in both categories. Of course the action got all the focus when it came to promos for the film, but he’s also quite charming and funny as Han too.

If the film has a flaw, it’s that the romance between Han and Trish never fully gels. They feel like instant best friends instead of potential lovers, with Li later admitting on this website that a kiss between them was cut from the ending because it didn’t feel right (via The Jet Li Website). Granted, this was after Han witnessed his father’s death, so it probably wasn’t the right time for them to have a quick smooch. Still, reviews for Romeo Must Die (via Rotten Tomatoes) all praised Li’s work, and with good reason.

Aaliyah Was Praised For Her Performance Alongside Jet Li

Romeo Must Die was proof Aaliyah could have been a movie star

In addition to being Li’s debut as a Hollywood leading man, Romeo Must Die marked the acting debut of singer Aaliyah. Trish is very much the emotional center of the story, and for a first-time performer, she does very well with some complicated scenes. Case in point would be the scene where Trish recalls a story from her childhood about her mother, and Aaliyah does an excellent job conveying Trish’s heartbreak in what would have been a tricky scene for even a more experienced actor.

Again, she and Li have solid chemistry, too, and the singer received good notices for her turn. Aaliyah was set to follow Romeo Must Die by playing Zee in The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions, and had sH๏τ many scenes for the sequel until her tragic death in a plane crash in August 2001; Nona Gaye ultimately played the role in the sci-fi sequels. Romeo Must Die and Queen of the Damned (which released posthumously) were Aaliyah only two acting credits, and proof that she had the talent to become a major star.

The CGI Effects For The Action Scenes Were Groundbreaking But Haven’t Aged Well

Romeo Must Die’s CGI very much belongs to the early 2000s

Romeo Must Die is one of those movies, like Mission: Impossible 2 or Swordfish, that felt real cool during their initial release, only to have aged badly in the years that followed. Romeo Must Die has a lot of visual gimmicks that very much belong to this period, but it still holds together thanks to a talented cast. Unfortunately, this was also during a time when CG was being thrown into movies to “enhance” the action, but in Romeo Must Die’s case, they’re largely a distraction.

A lot of the fights use wirework and CGI to look more spectacular, though fans of Jet Li’s filmography will know he doesn’t need that kind of help. The X-ray vision stuff is fun and used sparingly, though the early 2000s CG on these sH๏τs looks a little wonky to modern eyes. Ultimately, Romeo Must Die’s use of digital effects isn’t a huge issue, though the technology was at such an early stage that it would have worked better without them.

Source: Box Office Mojo, The Jet Li Website, Rotten Tomatoes