Cradle 2 the Grave
Kit Bowen
A Taiwanese government agent and a master thief team up to hunt down some rare
black diamonds before they land into the wrong hands.
Story
Cradle 2 the Grave isn't going to be known as one of those action flicks that
thrills you but also has a surprisingly interesting story to back it up. Still,
Cradle has enough credible plot points to keep things moving until the next
fight sequence. The action begins with Tony Fait (Earl "DMX" Simmons) and his
fiercely devoted crew--including the stunning Daria (Gabrielle Union) and comic
relief Tommy (Anthony Anderson)--pulling off a complex jewelry heist and
snagging a valuable cache of black diamonds. These diamonds aren't what they
appear to be but are actually something much more powerful--and deadly. Su (Jet
Li), working for the Taiwanese government as a secret agent, must retrieve them
before its too late. Fait would be happy to hand over the stones for the right
price, but word of their value has hit the street and they are stolen by a
powerful crime lord (Chi McBride). Su and the crimelord end up being the least
of Fait's problems, however, when Su's ex-partner, Ling (Mark Dacascos), now a
ruthless arms dealer, enters the picture. He and his treacherous woman (Kelly Hu)
will stop at nothing to get those black baubles, including kidnapping Fait's
daughter Vanessa (Paige Hurd). OK, things just got personal. Fait, Su and
company have to work together to fight off the onslaught of nasties, exact
revenge, stop possible world destruction and get back the only thing Fait cares
about in the world--his daughter.
Acting
Is it me or is Jet Li just too damn cool for words? The whole martial arts arena
has certainly been stepped up with the Jackie Chan's and Crouching Tiger, Hidden
Dragon's of the world, but Li brings back that calm yet deadly demeanor the late
Bruce Lee made so popular. Granted, Li hasn't had the same success in the U.S.
as Chan--save for maybe his American debut performance in the smokin' Romeo Must
Die. But he sure is impressive on-screen kicking the bejesus outta someone
without blinking an eye, no matter what the asinine plot line. Hip-hop singer
DMX, who also appeared in Romeo Must Die (along with Anderson) holds his own as
a tough nut über-thief but he finds a little difficulty emoting when the time
comes. The hilarious Anderson and the oh-so-alluring Union are quickly becoming
the "It" black actors (him: Kangaroo Jack, Barbershop; her: Deliver Us From Eva,
the upcoming Bad Boys 2), while the forever-irritating Tom Arnold pops up as a
demolition surplus dealer (but make sure to stay all the way through the credits
to watch a hilarious exchange between him and Anderson). Hurd does an nice turn
as the feisty Vanessa, who is fairly resourceful for a kidnapped 10-year-old.
It's easy to see the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Direction
Enough with all the superfluous plot lines and acting analysis--let's get
down to real reason the movie exists. Action. High octane, fist-flyin' action,
and as a self-proclaimed action junkie--and newly transformed martial arts
fan--Cradle certainly doesn't disappoint. Director/cinematographer Andrzej
Bartkowiak, who worked with Li and DMX on Romeo Must Die, knows how to frame the
martial arts sequences, while using the pounding hip-hop soundtrack and urban
locale to full effect. One of the more fast-paced sequences has Fait outrunning
police cars on a three-wheel ATV, eventually jumping the bike from rooftop to
rooftop, while Su, in another location, is fighting off a dozen guys in a boxing
pit, including an aggressive midget who would like to smash Su's face in but
ends becoming a device to fend off the rest. All while DMX is belting out a
jammin' song. Great stuff. Of course, you wait for the ultimate showdown between
Su and his nemesis Ling and when it comes, it's a jaw-clencher. The film is just
a purely mindless roller-coaster ride.
Bottom Line
It doesn't matter if Cradle 2 the Grave offers very little in the form of an
engaging story. The daredevil sequences, with the ultra-cool Jet Li at the helm,
is a wild trip anyway.