Romeo Must Die (2000)

"Romeo Must Die" (2000) is an action film starring Jet Li and Aaliyah in her film debut and the only film she appeared in while she was still living. The film also stars Delroy Lindo, Isaiah Washington, Russell Wong, D.B. Woodside, Anthony Anderson, and DMX. Andrzej Bartkowiak was the director, and Mitchell Kapner, Eric Bernt, and John Jarrell were the writers. The soundtrack to the film consisted primarily of hip-hop and RnB debuting at #3 on the Billboard 200.

This film was a mixture of modern Chinese and Black culture. Jet Li recently saw incredible success in the US when he starred in "Lethal Weapon 4." As a result, "Romeo Must Die" was another mainstream introduction for the martial arts star. So Jet Li teaming up with the popularity of DMX and Aaliyah during the late 90s and early 2000s gained him more exposure. In addition, martial arts have been popular among black culture since the 70s in action movies. Martial arts also influenced one of the most significant hip-hop groups ever, so integrating the two cultures was familiar.

"Romeo Must Die" was a blockbuster film distributed by Warner Bros. It was a box office success grossing over $90 million on a $25 million budget. It's a fun action film with some talented actors. There could be more scenes with Li fighting, but overall it's an enjoyable movie. Seeing some of these familiar faces from over 20 years ago is nostalgic.

Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak

Writers: Mitchell Kapner, Eric Bernt, John Jarrell

Starring Jet Li, Aaliyah, Delroy Lindo, Isaiah Washington, Russell Wong, D.B. Woodside, Anthony Anderson, Henry O, Jon Kit Lee, Edoardo Ballerini, Matthew Harrison, Terry Chen, Derek Lowe,

Storyline

In this martial arts take on Shakespeare's famous tragedy, an ex-policeman is jailed for a crime he didn't commit, and he breaks out to avenge his brother's death in America. He meets Trish O'Day there, and as they fall in love, she helps him in his search. Her father knows more about Li's brother's death than he should, and he and Li are at war soon.

Graffiti Bridge (1990)

"Graffiti Bridge" (1990) is a music-drama film written and directed by Prince. Some consider the movie a sequel to his 1984 "Purple Rain." However, only a few of the same characters were in "Graffiti Bridge, " including Prince, Morris Day, and Jerome Benton. Despite this movie being a sequel, not much of the original story rolled over from "Purple Rain." Instead, Prince took an artistic, spiritual, sexual, and abstract approach to this movie. Additional cast members are Ingrid Chavez and Robin Power. There are also performances by George Clinton, Mavis Staples, and Tevin Campbell. Unfortunately, the film did not do well at the box office, grossing over $4 million on a $7 million budget. Yet, the soundtrack had better reception reaching number six US Billboard 200 and US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

Director: Prince

Writer: Prince

Starring Prince, Morris Day, Jerome Benton, Ingrid Chavez, Robin Power, Jill Jones, George Clinton, Mavis Staples, Tevin Campbell, The Time, T.C. Ellis

Storyline

"The Kid" (Prince) struggles to maintain control of the Glam Slam nightclub where he plays. Morris Day is the godfather of the nightclub scene and tries to force the Kid out. The Kid is about to succumb when Aura, a sensual guardian angel-type character (Chavez), comes to Prince's aid.