CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE

US, 2002, 102 minutes, Colour.
Jet Li, D.M.X., Anthony Anderson, Kelly Hu, Tom Arnold, Mark Dacasos.
Directed by Andrzej Bartkiwiak.

Cradle 2 The Grave is a film designed for a niche market: men who like action films with martial arts. It would not appeal to many other audiences.

The film is, of course, a star vehicle for Jet Li who made a number of significant films in Hong Kong, especially the Once Upon a Time in China series. He went to Hollywood as the villain for Lethal Weapon IV. However, he was made centre of a number of films as Romeo Must Die and The One. Both of those films were directed by Bartkiwiak, who also directs this one. (He had also directed Steven Seagal and D.M.X. in Exit Wounds, which also starred Anthony Anderson and Tom Arnold.)

The plot is complicated, Li as a secret agent trying to discover the whereabouts of stolen black diamonds. D.M.X. is a thief who wants the diamonds. There are also complications from Taiwan and ambitious businessmen who want the diamonds for industrial and power purposes.

The film has quite a number of chases, fights - as expected in this kind of film. There are also various betrayals as well as reconciliations. Li is a small figure, full of energy and ingenuity. However, he does not come across with the same kind of forcefulness as, for instance, Jackie Chan. D.M.X. is a rap artist and seems to be enjoying himself doing this kind of action role. Anthony Anderson and Tom Arnold (one of the few white characters in the film) provide some comic relief.

At the end of Exit Wounds, Anthony Anderson and Tom Arnold sit and discuss a range of issues, especially sex with a number of broad innuendos. At the end of this film, they also sit and chat - with reference to Exit Wounds and the comparison of this film with the former. It has been suggested that the writer has been influenced by Charlie Kaufmann and adaptation where films are now self-referential. However, this subtlety might be lost on the slam-bam fans who simply want action.