Romeo Must Die
Written by: Eric Bernt (story by Mitchell Kapner) Starring: Jet Li, Aaliyah, Delroy Lindo, Isaiah Washington, Russell Wong, Eduardo Ballerini, DMX
Hong Kong martial arts star Jet Li makes the jump from supporting villain (“Lethal Weapon 4”) to leading man and ass-kicker in this slick, impressively shot, and almost incomprehensible kung-fu action comedy. Li (who I read was a junior star of China's touring wushu troupe) is an appealing performer and a true dynamo of action. He has tremendous speed and agility, and his martial arts stunts are fantastic (though the picture risks its credibility by using obviously faked effects in a few of the fight scenes). The picture is set in Chicago, where a Chinese gang and a black gang are in conflict over some prime real estate, for reasons that are not important enough to go into here. Li plays Han, a Hong Kong cop who went to jail in order to allow his brother and father to escape to America. When his brother is killed in the gang war, Han escapes from prison and makes his way to the new world to track down the killer. There he hooks up with a pretty girl (Aaliyah) who, by amazing coincidence, is the daughter of the black gang’s leader (Lindo).
Naturally, obstacles ensue for these star-crossed lovers, as they attempt to right a series of wrongs and bring the guilty to justice. (“Lovers” is a bit of an overstatement, by the way; in the peculiar and chaste ethos of these pictures, you can cut the limbs off people, but heaven forbid the leading man and woman so much as kiss.) In the course of all this, Han must engage in a series of spirited bouts, some comic, some brutal, almost all balletic. Li has real grace, and even more crucial for this kind of picture, he handles it all with a sense of humor. He has a nice, self-effacing touch with the comic elements, which puts one immediately in mind of Jackie Chan. Li could certainly achieve that kind of superstar status. The movie also showcases a good number of very attractive and talented Asian and African-American actors. One can only hope that they find better writing in the future. “Romeo Must Die” tries to go for something a little deeper than the average action flick. For example, Lindo’s character is trying to redeem himself by going straight and getting a piece of the legitimate action long denied to minorities. The movie also touches on themes of conflict and reconciliation between generations. (Although not, interestingly, conflict between races.)
Aside from the fact that there is a war on, not much attention is paid to the differences between the gangs; both have their bad guys and their good guys, in about equal numbers.) I give the filmmakers credit for trying, but their reach, I fear, exceeds their grasp. But then, this is not a picture you go to for enlightenment (unless you want a primer on using a fire hose as a weapon). You go for the speed, a few laughs, and some flat-out awesome martial artistry. On that score, director Bartkowiak--and the dynamic Li--deliver. (4/1/00)