Hey folks, Harry here with... possibly baaaaaad news. From the sound of Nayland Smith, long time on the level spy, your money might be better spent on the new FIST OF LEGEND dvd than in the theater seeing this. I talked to Quint last night about the film, he saw it yesterday, and he said it was so-so... and then said that he thinks I spoiled him by showing SWORDSMAN II, a REAL Jet Li movie! Here ya go... Nayland is brutal on the film....
Harry -- Nayland Smith here.
In order to provide a balance, objective forum, I must submit to you some thoughts on Romeo Must Die (you already received a glowing review of this film from another spy. However, having seen this movie, I would give the previous review about as much credibility as a gushing review of Godzilla.). Some people in Talk Back are speculating about whether it's a fake review, based on certain phrases the author used. In their place, I would base such speculations simply on the fact that the reviewer said it was a good movie.
I just saw Romeo Must Die last night. This movie was a plain waste of time. It smacks of a cross between an Americanized, edited Jackie Chan movie and a music video.
First off -- the fighting. That's why we're all at a Jet Li movie anyways, right? Plot, storyline, they can all just sit their asses down, as long as we've got great fight scenes. Well, we've got a few good scenes, but they're edited in such a fast manner so as to make it look like it's all camera trickery rather than real martial arts skill. If I wanted to see fake martial arts with people doing tricks while suspended on wires, I'd re-watch The Matrix (hey, wait a minute here... Joel Silver's recycling the same stuff). It works for Reeves, but for someone of Jet Li's caliber, it only detracts from his talent. If you go expecting the Jet Li you've seen before, you'll get it -- however, due to the editing, you just won't see it.
Second -- too much musician showcasing. Do we really need to see scenes of Aaliyah dancing in a retail store, just because she also happens to be an R&B star just out of her teens? Jeezus, I was waiting for them to all break out in song, and for the film to turn into a musical! Then, it happened -- the nightclub scene, where she sings along to the music, was simply too much. Look, If I wanted that, I'd turn on the Box.
Thirdly -- Dialogue. Well, the ridiculous dialogue could be considered an homage to the cheesy English dialogue that was dubbed into the classic Shaw Brothers films (you know, the stuff like "Ah... Fu Sheng. Your kung-fu is no match for mine. I have been studying my art for [pause] eighteen years!").
Fourth -- Doesn't the white dude arranging the whole deal seem a little bit derivitave of someone? Let's see... he's a cross between the cocky side of Jerry Maguire and..... Frank T.J. Mackey. In fact, he looks A LOT like Tom Cruise! I guess the casting director took the request a little too literally.
Finally -- The "effect" referred to in the previous review of this movie. Well, I may be raining on the reviewer's parade, as he seemed to think this was the greatest thing ever, but this visual is NOTHING NEW. Again, maybe an homage to another film, but to pass this off as original is outright robbery. Granted, everyone who knew absolutely zero about great martial arts films was duly impressed. Without giving the visual away to those of you who are in that crowd, let's just say that for the rest of us who had the slightest clue and had seen The Streetfighter, it was nothing we hadn't seen before.
In short, save yourself the money, and if you haven't already seen them, go to your local video store and educate yourself on the films this movie directly lifts from. Hell, you should do that even if you have already seen them, because the real crime won't be the 8 bucks you shell out to see Romeo Must Die. It'll be the fact that you'll sit there for two hours watching this drivel while you could be watching something, anything else.
Nayland Smith out.
