 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 Silver productions Romeo Must Die
and Exit Wounds respectively. 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 complement
each other.
Li may not be as kid-friendly as Jackie Chan or have comparable
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 at 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 three 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.
|
