Romeo Must Die

On the gritty docks of Oakland, two rival crime families wage a blunt, high stakes war for control of the waterfront. Han Sing, a tough enforcer for a Chinese faction, and Trish O'Day, a streetwise woman drawn into the conflict, find themselves pulled into a web of deceit that reshapes loyalties and power. As betrayals surface and alliances shift, the port becomes a dangerous arena where factions collide and the line between ally and foe blurs. The film blends kinetic martial arts with urban crime drama, moving at a brisk tempo that favors confrontation over reflection. No major twists spoiled here, just a steady rhythm of action, danger, and grit. The pulse stays high and stakes rise.

Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak, Romeo Must Die arrived in 2000 as a Hollywood action vehicle for Jet Li. It is based on a screenplay by Eric Bernt, John Jarrell, and Mitchell Kapner, blending martial arts with crime and street culture.

The film earned about 91 million worldwide on a 25 million budget, a solid return that reflected the late 90s growth of martial arts cinema. It helped establish Jet Li's international profile and showed American audiences what he could do globally for years.

Romeo Must Die helped bring Jet Li to a broader American audience and fused his martial arts with a hip hop infused urban setting. The pairing with Aaliyah added star power and a stylish edge that lingered in action cinema discussions for years. It influenced later cross genre projects widely.

Critics praised the film for its brisk pace and choreographed fight sequences while noting a reliance on familiar genre beats. It also explores loyalty, family duty, and the costs of violence in a world where power is constantly at stake, and audiences responded to its visual energy in urban theaters nationwide.