90s

8 Reasons Our Love For 'Romeo + Juliet' Will Never Die, Even Though They Did

Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann has made a name for himself as a director with enough visual flair and creative artistic design for several directors, and he cemented this reputation with 1996's Romeo + Juliet.

An iconic (if not entirely faithful) adaptation of William Shakespeare's best-known play, the movie featured Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes at the height of their young heartthrob years. It was a big success and has remained a cult favorite for decades, and here's a few reasons why.

Leo and Claire as the titular couple

FOX

Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes have come a long way since playing the baby-faced star-crossed lovers, but this is how we still love remembering both actors.

John Leguizamo as Tybalt

FOX

Tybalt, the Prince of Cats, is one of the most over-the-top and violent Shakespeare villains in the Bard's bibliography, and John Leguizamo gives him a performance to match. Turning the brute into a Latino gunslinger, this is still our favorite version of the character.

Harold Perrineau as Mercutio

FOX

Mercutio is a larger-than-life comedic genius of a character, and the second Harold Perrineau shows up in drag for the party at the Capulets' estate, it's obvious that he's perfect for the role. His costumes, mannerisms and lines are all amazingly over-the-top, and we love him for it.

We're done with the actors, so let's look at what we love about the movie itself...

The sets

FOX

The film was nominated for an Academy Award for its art and set design, and it's easy to see why. Every shot of the movie looks like Shakespeare meets a neon fever dream, and it's one of the most distinctively awesome things about the movie.

The costumes

FOX

The costumes are just as colorful and ridiculous as the sets, and it makes the whole thing just so much more memorable. The party scene is especially great for this.

The music

FOX

Baz Luhrmann knows a thing or two about movie soundtracks, as he's continued to prove with movies like Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby. Romeo + Juliet is no exception, and the soundtrack has some genuinely great stuff.

The goofy modernizing of the story

FOX

The opening chorus is done as a news broadcast! The "swords" are now pistols labeled "Sword 9MM Series S!" What's not to love about this? Yeah it's goofy and kind of cheesy, but it's a ton of fun.

The over-the-top action

FOX

Between all the gunfights, car chases and overacting, Romeo + Juliet could almost fit into the Fast and the Furious franchise if it wasn't for the Elizabethan English. It might not be reverent to the source material, but it makes the movie a great watch.

Share with anybody you know who loves 'Romeo + Juliet!'

More Throwbacks

90s

Remembering NFL in the 90's

NFL in the 90s. The Golden Years of FootballIf you can cast your mind back to what the NFL was like in the 90’s, you can perhaps remember some of the great teams and players of the time, not to mention some of the important milestones as well. Maybe you remember the Dallas Cowboys winning three Super Bowls in four years or when the Denver Broncos won a perfect season in 1998. Of course, there are plenty of memorable player moments too. Like when Dan Marino won the title of the best all-time passing leader. Or when Jerry Rice

90s

Brace Yourself: The Backstreet Boys Released A New Song And Are Going On A World Tour

The Backstreet Boys have been one of the biggest bands in the country, well, the world for several decades now. After getting their start in the early 90s, they've managed to be one of the very few bands that has stuck together and continued performing. They didn't need a big reunion, because they didn't break up. Well, let's just pretend like that whole Kevin fiasco didn't happen. But anyways, they've been putting out music and performing together for 25 years now, and they have no intention of stopping. To be fair, they did warn of this two decades ago. They

90s

Lip Smacker's New Christmas Collection Brings Back Your 90s Favorites. All Of Them.

If there was one product that you had to pick that would best represent what it was like to be a preteen in the 90s, I think a lot of us girls would agree that Lip Smackers would be the best choice. These little tubes of oftentimes glittered, scented, colorful lip-balm made us all feel like the fanciest of ladies, totally ready to grab our purses and do whatever it is that our moms did when they weren't paying attention to us. You had so many different choices too. You'd have a classic berry scented red Lip Smacker, you'd have

80s

Die Hard's Reginald VelJohnson Reveals How Al Powell Got Him Cast On Family Matters

Watching Die Hard is like watching a little piece of history. It truly has remained one of the greatest movies of all time no matter how much time passes. Maybe we didn't know how special it was when we first saw it, but as the decades go on, it has become clear that it's a true classic that is basically required viewing for every single person. Everyone obviously thinks of Bruce Willis when they think about Die Hard, which makes sense because he embodies John McClane in a way that makes him feel real, but he's not the only iconic

90s

Trailer For New Nickelodeon Documentary Has Your 90s Favorites Spilling All The Secrets

Nickelodeon wasn't just a television network, it was basically a generation. Kids all over the country were bonded in this weird little family, obsessing over shows that our parents just couldn't possibly understand. They were for us. They weren't made to appeal to our parents, they were made for our enjoyment and so we felt a special connection to them unlike any other shows. Nickelodeon is still going strong today, but it's hard to remember that there was a time before the iconic kids network came around. The company may be a juggernaut now, but how did it get started?

90s

Reptar Bars Are Back And They Are The "Superist" And The "Duperist" Versions Yet

Everyone remembers watching Rugrats as a kid, right? It was only the best kids' show ever. Those "dumb babies" as Angelica Pickles would say were a lot more clever than they let on, and in their many adventures they inspired us kids to believe that we could do anything. I mean, we don't have to question how or why a baby keeps a screwdriver in his diaper, because the logistics of where he got it or how he keeps it in there without hurting himself is beyond me, but that's not what matters here. What does matter is that these