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Cradle 2 the Grave (2003)
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Reviews Counted:117
Fresh:30
Rotten:87
Average Rating:4.5/10
Consensus: Dumb and by-the-numbers, but serviceable.
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis:
Leader. Thief. Warrior. Father.
Armed with a potent combination of charisma, street smarts and martial arts expertise, Tony Fait (DMX) navigates the menace of the urban landscape with...
Leader. Thief. Warrior. Father.
Armed with a potent combination of charisma, street smarts and martial arts expertise, Tony Fait (DMX) navigates the menace of the urban landscape with passionate precision, taking care of business and his fiercely loyal crew of professionals (ANTHONY ANDERSON, GABRIELLE UNION and DRAG-ON) with a dedication surpassed only by his love for his young daughter Vanessa (PAIGE HURD).
After pulling off a complex heist involving a cache of black diamonds, Fait quickly comes fist-to-fist with Su (JET LI), a Taiwanese government agent who has pursued the extraordinary stones halfway across the world. As lethal as he is relentless, Su isn’t just hunting down diamonds – he’s hunting the ruthless Ling (MARK DACASCOS), his former partner, who kidnaps Fait’s daughter in a ploy to exchange her for the stolen jewels.
But when word hits the street that Fait stashed the stones with his fence Archie (TOM ARNOLD), the diamonds promptly wind up in the hands of a powerful crime lord (CHI McBRIDE).
His back to the wall, Fait mobilizes his crew, suspends his strict no-guns policy and prepares to unleash every force at his disposal to save his daughter. But only Su knows Ling well enough to anticipate his every move – and after he dispenses with Ling’s operatives in an explosive display of martial prowess, Fait realizes Su could be his best hope for bringing Vanessa home alive.
Adversaries by code but allied by circumstance, the master thief and the enigmatic agent join forces to wage war on their common enemy: Su to exact revenge against the man who once tried to take his life and Fait to rescue Vanessa, the one person that he cannot live without.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Silver Pictures production starring JET LI and DMX. Cradle 2 the Grave also stars ANTHONY ANDERSON, KELLY HU, TOM ARNOLD, MARK DACASCOS and GABRIELLE UNION. The film is directed by ANDRZEJ BARTKOWIAK and produced by JOEL SILVER. HERBERT W. GAINS and RAY D. COPELAND are the executive producers. The screenplay is by JOHN O’BRIEN and CHANNING GIBSON from a story by John O’Brien. The music is by JOHN FRIZZELL and DAMON “GREASE” BLACKMAN. DARYN OKADA, A.S.C. is the director of photography. The film is edited by DEREK G. BRECHIN and co-produced by SUSAN LEVIN and MELINA KEVORKIAN.
Cradle 2 the Grave will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, an AOL Time Warner Company.
This film has been rated R by the MPAA for “violence, language and some sexual content.”
Starring: Jet Li, DMX, Anthony Anderson, Kelly Hu
Starring: Jet Li, DMX, Anthony Anderson, Kelly Hu, Tom Arnold, Mark Dacascos, Gabrielle Union
Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Screenwriter: Joseph O'Brien, Channing Gibson
Producer: Joel Silver
Composer: John Frizzell
Studio: Warner Bros.
Reviews for Cradle 2 the Grave
Cradle 2 the Grave feels like about four different movies working at once, all of them stylized, none of them making much sense and maybe a couple of those being even slightly entertaining.
In the spectrum of modern martial arts movies, Cradle 2 the Grave is glorified B-movie fodder at best.
The problem with CRADLE 2 GRAVE, aside from the cutesy "2" in the title is very simple. Not enough Jet Li.
A fast-paced, big action hip-hop kung fu thriller, Cradle 2 The Grave stretches the boundaries of the genre with an engaging combo of Jet Li magic, a smart, funny script and spectacular stunts.
It's an insult to Jet Li's acrobatic talent, and also to DMX's svelte, feral intensity.
Cradle 2 the Grave is a contemporary Hollywood B-movie and the most shamelessly excessive buddy action picture since The Last Boy Scout.
With too little Li and too much DMX, Cradle would have been better served if these players had been allowed to stick to what they do best, with Li fighting and DMX singing.
[DMX] acts like he raps -- in fits and starts, with heaps of ruff growling. Li barely has enough lines to qualify for a SAG card.
This is just a horrible film, waste of time. Please, please avoid it.
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