"'Cradle' Will Rock"
by Scott Mantz

"Cradle 2 the Grave"
Jet Li, DMX
Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak

Lethal weapons! Jet Li and DMX team up for "Cradle 2 the Grave"

Film producers aren't usually known for having a distinct cinematic style (that usually falls to the director), but Joel Silver is definitely one who comes to mind. His slick, high concept movies are often filled with well-choreographed fight scenes, lots of explosions and, of course, the hottest women in Hollywood. While that may sound a lot like work of fellow producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Silver's films also boast some of the most charismatic team-ups of the last 20 years (think Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in "Lethal Weapon" and Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne in "The Matrix").

All of those qualities are present and accounted for in "Cradle 2 the Grave," an effective action thriller that, while not particularly groundbreaking along the lines of "The Matrix," will no doubt please fans expecting more of Silver's pyrotechnics. In addition, martial arts superstar Jet Li and rapper-turned-actor DMX make for an engaging pair, with Li more effective the less he has to say and DMX more effective the less he has to fight.

Tony Fait (DMX) and his team of professionals have just botched a complex jewel heist consisting of rare black diamonds. Su (Jet Li) is a Taiwanese government official who must recover them before they land in the hands of the ruthless Ling (Mark Dacascos), his former partner who has his own plans for their hidden powers. When Ling kidnaps Fait's daughter in an effort to exchange her for the jewels, Fait and Su must join forces in order to recover them and rescue the one person that Fait cannot live without.

"Cradle 2 the Grave" represents a remarkable case of "Silver Synergy," since director Andrzej Bartkowiak previously worked with Jet Li and DMX on respective Silver productions "Romeo Must Die" and "Exit Wounds." "Cradle" may be par-for-the-course for all involved, but bringing Li and DMX together on the same film makes perfect sense, since their conflicting styles compliment each other.

Li may not be as kid-friendly as Jackie Chan or have his acting chops (no pun intended), but he certainly fights better than just about anyone in the biz. More importantly, he makes it look so easy. All he has to do is step out of the shadows, give his opponent a menacing stare, and start kicking away--usually without even breaking a sweat.

Leave it to Tom Arnold to steal the movie--even from the always reliable scene-stealer Anthony Anderson. As a high-tech black market dealer, he goes for broke with his trademark wise-ass routine, and he often has the best lines in the movie. On the other hand, Gabrielle Union has the best scene of all with a very sexy striptease, which instantly recalls Jamie Lee Curtis' equally sexy, but more comedic striptease in 1994's "True Lies" (in which Arnold also co-starred).

As expected, there are some notable set pieces, particularly the jewel heist in the beginning of the film and the now-obligatory car chase. The one here has DMX riding an all-terrain vehicle through a building, up the stairs, and across the rooftops of Los Angeles while a slew of cops and another bike are hot on his tail.

The convoluted plot for "Cradle 2 the Grave" wraps itself up with an unnecessary amount of exposition before it finally climaxes with 3 carefully-staged fight scenes; one between DMX and the thug holding his daughter hostage, the second between Li and Dacascos, and the third between Union and "The Scorpion King's" Kelly Hu. Okay, so it isn't Shakespeare, but if Silver's brand of high-concept, eardrum-busting entertainment is your cup of tea, then this is one "Cradle" that truly rocks.

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