March 24, 2000. That’s the day everything changed for action cinema, even if we didn’t fully realize it at the time. Walk into a theater back then, and you’d see a poster that felt like a fever dream of cool: Aaliyah and Jet Li standing side-by-side, draped in black, looking like the coolest humans on the planet. Romeo Must Die wasn't just a movie; it was a cultural collision.
Honestly, the plot is basically a loose, hip-hop-infused remix of Romeo and Juliet set in Oakland, but with way more roundhouse kicks and a lot less iambic pentameter. You’ve got Jet Li playing Han Sing, an ex-cop from Hong Kong who breaks out of prison to avenge his brother. Then you’ve got the late, legendary Aaliyah as Trish O'Day, the daughter of a rival crime boss.
They meet. They team up. Sparks fly. But here's the thing—something feels missing.
The Kiss That Never Was
If you’ve watched the movie recently, you probably noticed the ending feels a bit... platonic? They share a "tight hug" and a look of deep respect, but no kiss. For years, fans have been scratching their heads about this.
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It turns out, they actually did film a kissing scene.
Reports from the set and test screenings suggest that the original ending featured a romantic kiss between Aaliyah and Jet Li. However, the studio reportedly cut it because it "didn't test well" with certain audiences. Some claim mainstream America wasn't "ready" to see an Asian man in a sexualized romantic lead role at the time. Others say the director felt it didn't fit the mourning tone of the final scene where Han’s father dies.
Whatever the excuse, it’s kinda heartbreaking. Their chemistry was palpable. Cutting that moment felt like a step back for representation, even as the film itself was breaking barriers by having a Black woman and an Asian man lead a major Hollywood blockbuster together.
Why the Soundtrack Still Slaps
You can’t talk about Romeo Must Die without talking about the music. Aaliyah wasn't just the star; she was the executive producer of the soundtrack.
- "Try Again" made history. It was the first song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 based solely on radio airplay.
- Timbaland’s production was at its peak here. That futuristic, stuttering beat defined the sound of the early 2000s.
- DMX (rest in peace) brought the grit with "Come Back in One Piece."
The soundtrack was a massive success, grossing millions and arguably becoming more iconic than the movie itself. It featured Destiny’s Child, Ginuwine, and Joe. It was a time capsule of R&B and hip-hop excellence.
Jet Li’s Hollywood Breakthrough
Before this, Jet Li was a villain in Lethal Weapon 4. Producer Joel Silver promised him a lead role if he took that part, and he delivered. Romeo Must Die was Li's first English-speaking lead role, and he proved he could carry a movie with charm, not just his fists.
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The fights were choreographed by Corey Yuen, and they introduced that weirdly cool "X-ray vision" effect where you’d see the bones snapping in slow motion. It was cheesy. It was 2000. We loved it.
The film was made on a modest budget of $25 million and raked in $91 million worldwide. That's a huge win. It proved that "urban" dramas mixed with Hong Kong action could print money. It paved the way for movies like Cradle 2 the Grave and even the Rush Hour sequels.
The Tragedy and the Legacy
Watching Romeo Must Die today is bittersweet. It was Aaliyah’s film debut, and she was incredible. She had this effortless "it factor" that made you believe she was going to be the next biggest thing in Hollywood.
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Sadly, she passed away in a plane crash just over a year after the movie was released.
Her performance as Trish wasn't just a singer trying to act; she had real range. She was tough but vulnerable. Because of her passing, this movie stands as one of the only ways we get to see what her acting career could have been.
What to Do Next
If you’re feeling nostalgic, here is how you should revisit this era of cinema:
- Watch the "Try Again" music video on YouTube. Look for the Hall of Mirrors scene—it’s a direct reference to the movie's themes and Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon.
- Stream the soundtrack. Don't just stick to the hits; tracks like "Are You Feelin' Me?" show Aaliyah and Timbaland's experimental side.
- Check out "Unleashed" (2005). If you want to see Jet Li at his absolute best in a Western film with way more emotional depth, that’s the one to watch.
- Look for the deleted scenes. While the "kiss" hasn't officially surfaced in high quality, the behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Jet Li and Aaliyah show just how much they genuinely liked working together.
Romeo Must Die might be dated with its early CGI and Matrix-style wirework, but the cultural impact of seeing Aaliyah and Jet Li together remains untouchable. It was a moment in time where Hollywood finally started to look a bit more like the real world, even if it took a few kicks to get there.