Two families, bound by tradition, are locked in a brutal war.

Asian and African-American gangs are vying for control of Oakland's waterfront.

But when the first casualty is the Asian warlord's son Po, the gang war becomes more dangerous than either side ever imagined.

When news of the murder gets back to Po's brother Han (Li), who is imprisoned in a Hong Kong jail, it's not long before Han escapes from prison, and makes his way to American.

In search of the truth and wanting to avenge his brother's death, Han uncovers nothing except more questions but, in the process, becomes friendly with Trish O'Day (Aaliyah), the daughter of Isaak O'Day (Lindo), leader of the African-American gang.

There are some great fight scenes, reminiscent of Jackie Chan, as Jet Li integrates martial arts with comedy.

From Joel Silver, producer of the groundbreaking, Oscar-nominated blockbuster The Matrix, this is a new kind of action movie, filled with martial arts action, riveting visual effects and cutting-edge music.

Car chases and fantastic special effects - including martial arts battles in which the fighters virtually fly through the air - add to the excitement.

Jet Li and Aaliyah turn in fine performances laced with just the right amount of comedy.

Dalia Levy