"I didn't have anything to do with it." -- Isaak O'Day, denying responsibility in the death of Han Sing's brother, to his daughter, Trish.

Too much of anything is not good for you. That's not just a Barry White lyric, it's a truism. It is also part of what is wrong with Romeo Must Die starring the latest in the series of martial arts-based actors to come to the American big screen, Jet Li. Li, whose debut was an excellent portrayal of a villain in Lethal Weapon 4 is one of the good guys this time, although it doesn't seem so at first.

Li portrays Han, son of a Chinese crime boss in Oakland. Han is in prison for a crime that his father committed. When Han learns that his brother Po has been murdered, he breaks out of prison performing martial arts feats even Bruce Lee couldn't have done with such ease and panache. More about that discrepancy later. We never find out how Han makes it to Oakland, where he steals a taxi and encounters "Trish", played in her film debut by singing sensation Alliyah. Trish just happens to be the daughter of another crime boss, Isaak, portrayed by Delroy Lindo. The unlikely encounter, the unlikely pair and of course an unlikely romance develops. The romance between rival families is the only simliarity in this film that can be linked to Shakespeare's tale of love, romance and death.

Han is out to find whoever is responsible for his brother's death, a quest that Trish wants to share with him. Her desire for justice strengthens when her own brother is also murdered. Meanwhile there is a series of killings and burnouts going on in the waterfront district, as the rival crime families strive to deliver land deeds to an unscrupulous financier named Roth (Edoardo Ballerini) who wants the land for a project to bring a pro football team to the area.

Director Andrzej Bartokwiak makes his directorial debut here, although as cinematographer on Lethal Weapon 4, he is obviously familiar with Li's athleticism and martial arts ability. Sadly, he apparently didn't think that Li's skills are enough, so many of the fight sequences are so obviously computer-enhanced as to be laughable. Jet Li didn't need those things to make his fight scenes look good and using them is an obvious beginner's mistake. So too is the overly loud scoring of the film. That rap music and the louder the better may bring in younger, more male teen dominated audiences aside, the levels of the music were overpowering and detracted from the few good sequences in the film.

Lindo is like the proverbial Sears Die-Hard battery. No matter what the role, he will give you a strong performance. But Li's lack of ability to emote makes Jean-Claude Van-Damme look like an actor with amazing range. Aaliyah's acting abilities are good, but not good enough to create the chemistry between the couple that was required to make their relationship believable. Russell Wong and Isiaiah Washington are pretty good in their respective roles as number 2 men to the two crime bosses who are uneasily aligned in the pursuit of the waterfront properties while a gang war is raging among them.

There is definitely a box full of eye candy for those who want to see fight sequences in Romeo Must Die. What is not there is a cogent story to engage anyone who insists on more for the movie-going dollar.