Romeo + Juliet - 1996

Shakespeare's famous play is updated to the hip modern suburb of Verona still retaining its original dialogue. The gun-toting members of the families wage a vicious war on the streets as the star-crossed lovers fulfill their tragic destiny.

I'm going to state the obvious here...This isn't your daddy's Shakespeare.

After crashing a Capulet party, the Montagues are accosted and in the fray, Mercucio, Romeo's best friend is mortally wounded by Tybalt. Romeo kills Tybault in retaltion and we're off to the races. I know I don't need to rehash this story. Everyone knows it by now.  Rival families, forbidden love, bloodshed, suicide.

The movie is dope. It's gritty, it's modern, and by moving it out of its dusty ass contemporary setting, it puts a new spin on a classic tale. Not only did the performances of DiCaprio and Danes make the film, the performance of the entire cast and the new stylized nature makes the film breathable.

"Fetch my Longsword..."  Dope.

Romeo + Juliet was an awesome film and one of the few remakes or re-tellings that have surpassed the original. After being subjected to that same old stuffy Shakespeare version throughout school, this version will be like a breath of fresh air.

I can get with the updated version. Swords are now guns, clothing is (relatively) current and it takes away the boredom of the original. Mercucio and Tybalt are my favorite characters in this film. Fitting, because they are the catalysts who set this play in motion.

Violence? Yes
Explosions? No
Nudity? Yes