Cradle 2 the Grave (2003)

JET LI TURNS VIOLENCE INTO BALLET
With the passing of Bruce Lee so long ago, martial arts fans have been begging for a replacement. Many have tried to take his place from Chuck Norris to Jean Claude Van Damme. But none has had that fluid style, that grace that Lee had. The closest we had for a while was Jackie Chan, but he played things more for laughs than anything else. And then came Jet Li.

Jet Li provides that fast paced, frenetic style that Lee had, making his fight sequences look almost like a ballet of violence than a simple fight. He also has a knack for making it look so easy and a screen presence that few in this genre have. So I was pleased to find his newest on video up to par with his best.

CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE features rapper DMX as Fait, a high tech thief who spends the beginning of the movie with his crew pulling off a heist in a diamond exchange. Not only do they end up with a load of regular diamonds, they pick up a bag of black diamonds that they were hired for. As they attempt to escape, they split in two groups. One loses a bag of gems while riding the top of a subway car. The other loses the second bag to Li. But the bag with the black gems is safe in Fait's hand.

The gang returns home and Fait puts his little girl to bed for the night. A doting father, he makes time for her, even helping her say her prayers before bed. Then he gets to work, taking the gems to his fence (Tom Arnold). Knowing something is up, he wants to know who is looking for the gems and what he can get for them.

The gems end up stolen from Arnold and Fait gets a call from the real bad guy, Ling (Mark DaCascos). Ling lets Fait know that he has kidnapped his daughter and that he wants the diamonds...now. By now, Li has joined forces with Fait, letting him know that he is Taiwan secret police. The pair check in with a local gang lord who they know robbed Arnold. Getting no help from him, they do realize where he has hidden the gems.

When they aren't where expected, they split once more in two groups to find them or someone who knows their location. Both pairs end up in some spectacular fight sequences and one in a thrilling car chase involving a four wheel ATV, a motorcycle and tons of police cars.

With little hope in sight, they get a call from Fait's daughter on a cell phone she finds in the van the bad guys have locked her in. Putting together clues she has given them along with the truth about the stones, they set out on a rescue mission. And when that begins, we end up with a set of three fight sequences running simultaneously that are some of the best seen in recent years.

I missed this one at the theater thinking it would be just another chop socky flick. I was wrong. What we have are some dynamite action stars making an action film that a number of directors should study. Why? Because far too many directors these days think that a fight sequence is about close ups of fists connecting or the hero's face. The truth is, as we see here, backing off with the camera gives us a chance to see the whole fight and not just bits and pieces of it.

The final main fight between Li and DaCascos is fantastic. Both are extremely skilled in martial arts and choreographing a fight sequence. Both make it look as fluid as a splattered tray of mercury. The only thing as fluid and slick as this scene is a quart of Pennzoil.

If you love action movies, then this is one not to miss. It delivers on all counts.

Jet Li Thumbs Up! DMX Thumbs Down!
I enjoyed watching this movie, but like most movies of this genre, certain parts left much to be desired. However, I love Jet Li and many of the actors in this movie, and thus I still rate it a 4!
Jet Li is Su, a Taiwanese Intelligence officer who is trying to recover stolen "black diamonds" to bring back to his country. DMX is Tony, who is a master thief, whom steals the black stones from a diamond exchange only to lose them on a subway train trying to save his girlfriend Darryl (Gabrielle Union). The stones eventually wind up recovered by Mr. Chambers (Chi McBride: who does not get any credit at the movie's end?), who hides them in his Club, now run by Odion (Mike Jace from the Shield). Also helping out DMX is his brother, and Tommy ( the great Anthony Anderson)! Anthony is hilarious in this movie! Eventually terrorists led by Ling (Mark Dacascos) and Sona (Kelly Hu) kidnap DMX's daughter to get him to turn over the stones to him. Li and DMX team up to try and recover the stones from Chambers, and then recover DMX's daughter. Tom Arnold has a great role as a comedic arms-dealer, who helps out DMX and Li.
I know some people hated the underground fight scene, but I loved it as it had Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture fighting Jet Li. I wish I could have seen Li bash Tito Ortiz's head in, but unfortunately the director made Tito tough for once in this scene. I kind of smirked when there is a scene of Ortiz defeating Liddell in the cage, which of course never happened in real life!
The chase scene featuring DMX eluding police on an all-terrain vehicle is more comical than exciting. Especially when DMX is hopping from building roof top to roof top!
Jet Li is once again such a great artist to watch. He is so fast and fluid taking out his opponents in this film. The final fight scene between Li and Dacascos is pretty cool, and the finality of the scene would not be a fun way too die! DMX was okay, but I believe he should stick to singing rather than acting or fighting.
Special Features of the DVD:

* Ultimate Fighting Champions: Features the UFC fighters in the film, and how they interacted with Jet Li.
* Choreography of the Camera: features how they used many cameras to film the different angles and scenes of the film, especially the fight scenes.
* DMX video "X Gonna give it to You"
* Cast/Crew
* And the Theatrical trailer of the film. Would have been nice to seen some trailers of other Jet Li films.
Overall an enjoyable action film to watch!

So so on drama, great action!
Jet Li and a very familiar supporting cast put on a lackluster story and dialog, but the action somehow makes it all worth it.