Cradle 2 the Grave (2003)

Posted in Reviews by - September 08, 2014
Cradle 2 the Grave (2003)

A gung-ho action picture not too dissimilar from Bartkowiak and Silver’s previous outings (Romeo Must Die, Exit Wounds). It would be nice to say this adds something new to the whole gangster-kung fu thing, but it really doesn’t, unless you belong to a strange minority of fans who were crying out for a film uniting Jet Li with DMX. Jet is moody, mute and distant, leaving DMX to carry most of the film. Mark Dacascos plays a terrorist chasing a stash of diamonds capable of mass destruction, which attracts the attention of kung fu cop Li and jewel thief DMX, whose daughter is kidnapped for added tension. The film is crying out for a decent finale, what with Jet Li and Mark Dacascos squaring up on screen for the first time. When it comes, it is certainly the best set-piece of the film; the two duke it out in a rain-soaked ring of fire. The lack of wires is refreshing, but the majority of the fights feel contrived, and the film should have been a lot better given the high calibre of the performers.

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Editor and creator of Kung Fu Movie Guide and the host of the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast. I live behind a laptop in London, UK.

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