Romeo Must Die

Jet Li's first Hollywood lead

After playing a hitman in Lethal Weapon 4 in 1998, Jet Li got his first American starring role here. Producer Joel Silver, fresh from The Matrix, looked to Hong Kong action cinema for what he felt American films had lost. He hired cinematographer Andrzej Bartkowiak for his directing debut and Hong Kong choreographer Corey Yuen, who had already worked with Li several times, for the fights. The film opened in the US on 24 March 2000.

Hong Kong-style fights

Before acting, Jet Li was a Chinese national wushu champion with the Beijing team. Yuen builds on that: jumping kicks, fast combinations and fights that use the set. Heavy wire work lightens the jumps and falls, which sometimes takes the action away from real fighting. The film also tried something new for its time: CGI "X-ray" shots showing bones breaking on impact. Tested on a single fight with an American audience, the idea went down well and was added to other scenes.

What a martial artist will spot

The best sequences are built on improvisation. In an American football game against the O'Day bodyguards, Han plays by his own rules and turns every tackle into an off-balancing technique. Facing a motorcycle assassin played by Françoise Yip, he refuses to hit a woman and uses Trish as an extra limb, steering her strikes. The final bout against Kai (Russell Wong) is a more classic empty-hand fight. Kung fu practitioners will recognise the low stances, circular kicks and open-hand work of modern wushu.

Reception

Shot in Vancouver from 3 May to 23 July 1999, though set in Oakland, the film cost $25 million and grossed about $91 million worldwide. Critics were harsh (32% on Rotten Tomatoes), praising Li but finding the film slow whenever he is off screen. Aaliyah, in her first film role, also sings Try Again, a US number one.