Cradle 2 The Grave Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)March 7th, 2003
"Cradle 2 the Grave" – Alive and Kicking by Homer Yen
(c) 2003
Hip Hop meets martial arts in "Cradle 2 the Grave," a competently made action-thriller that is certainly better than you'd expect, but not quite as good as it should have been. That sounds like an oxymoron. But, going into the film, you're not really expecting a whole lot beyond the explicative-filled language you'd expect from urban rapper DMX. And given the generally one-dimensional fighting-machine-characters that Jet Li has played in his American releases, you generally expect more of the same. Thus it's no surprise what we get. DMX cusses, vents, punches, and outruns the law throughout the film. Meanwhile, Jet Li flashes and showboats his deft and acrobatic moves to fend off those who would underestimate his diminutive size.
However, there is quite a bit of above-average material to boast about such as the opening sequence in which a group of high-tech thieves, led by Fait (DMX), audaciously rob a Diamond Exchange of some unique black diamonds. They use quick wits to distract a security guard through flirtation, they time their entry and exit with nary any room for error, they supply themselves with heisting equipment that costs a small fortune, and they execute teamwork with amazing cadence. The scene has an appropriate feel of excitement, tension, tautness, and polish.
It's clear from this opening scene that DMX has the presence and poise to be a player in the motion picture industry, along the lines of Vin Diesel. He has some range beyond the typical well-financed but street-tough burglar. Thankfully, the script adds a human side to his story. He is also a father of a precocious eight-year old. However, his daughter is kidnapped in exchange for the black diamonds.
His supporting crew of able thieves is also quite affable. Smartly, their characters do not interfere or cloud our ability to see DMX's charisma. Actually, the film could've been just about him and his crew, and we would've been happy. But, we're also happy with the inclusion of Tom Arnold, who provides doses of comic relief as well as artillery and armaments for those special occasions where tanks are needed to shoot down fleeing helicopters.
The film has other major characters as well, but suffers from its inability to elevate them sufficiently enough. Jet Li plays Su, a Taiwanese agent who also wants to recover the black diamonds and must eventually must team up with DMX. Alas, his human side is non-existent. Other than mentioning very briefly that he has a daughter, he is more comfortable taking on dozens of opponents at the same time within an Extreme Fighting arena. Envision that this is what Li kind of says/does: Did I mention I have a daughter? Kick-chop-kick!
And the bad guys are a real mess. They are relegated to mean stares, scowling, and the final showdown seems like an excuse to feature explosions, flames, rain, and other atmospheric effects. In fact, this final act seemed so ambitious and somewhat busy that you felt that you needed to move a few rows back to see everything. It's actually sad that the texture of the film wasn't smoother and more uniform. But the film will satisfy action-seeking movie goers, it shows that Jet Li and DMX are worthy of better scripts, and the film puts forth an overall good effort.
Grade: B-
S: 2 out of 3
L: 3 out of 3
V: 2 out of 3
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