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Jet Li, DMX, Mark Dacascos, Kelly Hu, Anthony Anderson ... see more see more... , Tom Arnold , Gabrielle Union , Michael Jace , Drag-On , Paige Hurd , Chi McBride , Larry Joshua , Tom McCleister , Wiley M. Pickett , Stephen Quadros , Ron Yuan , Gwen McGee , Julie Du Page , Paolo Seganti , Peter J. Lucas , Tito Ortiz , Chuck Liddell , Chic Daniel , Tim Storms , Martin Klebba , Rastar , Daniel Dae Kim , Doc Newman , Roxanna Brusso , Woon Young Park , Matt Baker , Sean Cory , Randy Couture , Michael Desante , Harry Dillon , John Dohle , Hector Echavarria , Beth Gains , James Hart II , Shawn Hollinger , Theodore Ture Johnson Jr. , Maximilian Mastransgelo , Paolo Mastropietro , Jake Muxworthy , Johnny Nguyen , Doug Spearman , Richard Trapp , Andre Ware , Marcus Young , Ramin Rastad , Maximillian Mastrangelo

A thief and a lawman join forces to hunt down a common enemy in this action thriller. Tony Fait (DMX) is a master thief who, along with his crew (Gabrielle Union, Anthony Anderson, and Drag-On), pulls... read more read more... off a major score when they steal a cache of highly valuable black diamonds. However, the hard-as-nails Tony has a soft spot for his young daughter Vanessa (Paige Hurd), and Ling (Mark Dacascos), a former detective turned ruthless criminal, kidnaps Vanessa, demanding a ransom from Tony for her return -- the stash of black diamonds. The jewels have already been stolen, however, from Tony's fence Archie (Tom Arnold), and are now in the hands of a powerful underworld boss (Chi McBride). Determined to get back his daughter whatever the cost, Tony and his gang set out to find both Ling and the diamonds, but he soon gets some invaluable help from an unlikely corner -- Su (Jet Li), a government agent from Taiwan who was once Ling's partner, and has an old score to settle with him. Cradle 2 the Grave also features Kelly Hu and Roxana Brusso. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

60% liked it

79,384 ratings

Critics

26% liked it

119 critics

R, 1 hr. 39 min.

Directed by: Andrzej Bartkowiak

Release Date: February 28, 2003

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DVD Release Date: August 12, 2003

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Stats: 2,248 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,248)

  • cosmo313
    August 28, 2011
    cosmo313
    Even when I first saw this, I felt it kind of hard to buy that a common thief and an Asian law enforcment officer would team up to fight a common enem, but there you go. I guess they felt they needed to give this some kind of plot, no matter how loose or ridiculous to hang a bunc... read moreh of over the top action scenes and violence on. They could have come up with something far better than this though, that's for sure.

    This film isn't really boring, but there's nothing really exciting going on, either. The acting is hammy, and as bad as the writing and directing. I guess some of the fights are cool, but, like I said, nothing to really get excited about.

    This is far from good, but I've seen worse, so I guess that's a bit of praise I can give it. I don't recommend this though. Not at all.
  • thmtsang
    November 22, 2008
    thmtsang
    This movie is like Rush Hour without the comedy. Good action movie. Jet is a cop from Taiwan who has come to the US to retrieve black diamonds that were stolen from Taiwan. DMX is a thief who robs the diamonds from the baddy, who then kidnaps his daughter. Jet and DMX have to wor... read morek together to get back what they both want.
  • fb619846742
    October 24, 2007
    fb619846742
    Saw enough of it to say IT SUCKS
  • deano
    January 3, 2007
    deano
    Jet Li and DMX are amazing in their well-crafted, hard-working action flick. The stunts are inventive, including bike chases and martial arts fights.
  • superclerk25
    December 28, 2006
    superclerk25
    You've seen this before. Same as all the rest.
  • stuartb1234
    October 3, 2006
    stuartb1234
    PLOP
  • mrbungle7821
    February 24, 2006
    mrbungle7821
    [center][font=Arial][color=darkred][img]http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/8013/photo060ms.jpg[/img][/color][/font][/center]
    [font=Arial][color=darkred][/color][/font]
    [font=Arial][color=darkred]Once again with Cradle 2 the Grave, Hollywood has reminded us of the magic of the bu... read moreddy film with the incorrigible rapscallion rapper DMX teamed up with stoic kung fu master Jet Li. Oh wait, did I saw buddy comedy, because what I meant to say was, ?horrendous car wreck.?[/color][/font]

    [font=Arial][color=darkred]DMX plays master jewel thief Tony Fait. He and his covert team (which includes one of the stars of Kangaroo Jack, take that for what you will) have been hired to steal priceless black diamonds. It appears others are also after these lucrative diamonds including a Su (Li), Taiwanese cop, and some international arms dealers that steal Fait?s daughter. Only really bad guys steal kids. Fait and Su form an unlikely team to recover his daughter and the black diamonds, which are revealed as powerful high-grade plutonium. And you better believe that their investigation has them stop by a strip club at least once.[/color][/font]

    [font=Arial][color=darkred]Let?s just say that acting is not the strong suit of Li or DMX. The rapper (whose real name is the non-threatening ?Earl?) scowls a lot, as if he?s thinking his brain will kick in some time and do the acting for him. Li looks sleepy-eyed or drugged, but he?s best when the fists are flying and his conversation is kept to a minimum.[/color][/font]

    [font=Arial][color=darkred]The plot to Cradle 2 the Grave is black hole of logic. The movie tries to make DMX seem like the good kind of jewel thief, you know, the one you?d like living next door. He won?t allow guns, he steals Robin Hood-style from drug dealers and he loves his little tyke. He even reforms a prostitute (Gabrielle Union). But if DMX is such the master jewel thief then wouldn?t he know that black diamonds aren?t real?[/color][/font]

    [font=Arial][color=darkred]Li is a furious fighter, and his previous film Kiss of the Dragon proved to me that he could utilize chopsticks and pool balls as lethal kung fu weaponry. But with Cradle 2 the Grave he goes one step further, and one step closer to the bizarre world of make believe, by using, of all things, dwarves and lobsters as deadly weapons. What?s next Jet Li? Throwing AIDS patients and school children?[/color][/font]

    [font=Arial][color=darkred]Hack director Andrzej Bartkowiak has previously directed bombs Romeo Must Die and Exit Wounds, another DMX-teams-with-martial-artist vehicle. After Cradle 2 the Grave I say, three strikes and you?re out as a director. Yes, acting and story are not as important in an action film as most genres, however, Bartkowiak directs the action scenes like he?s caught in them. The camera will sway around like its ducking a punch and too often focus tightly on people and make rapid-fire cuts. You can?t enjoy the action because Bartkowiak won?t let you see what?s going on. The film?s climax is like a gigantic end stage in a video game.[/color][/font]

    [font=Arial][color=darkred]Cradle 2 the Grave is so incredibly bad that the best thing about is Tom Arnold. Did you ever think you?d hear that? What more can you say about a movie where one of its actor?s real name is ?Drag-On.? I am not making any of this up.[/color][/font]

    [font=Arial][color=darkred]Cradle 2 the Grave is so maniacally awful that it?s sure to be one of the worst movies you could possibly see. This is the kind of movie someone who hates humanity would make. This is the kind of movie Hitler would have made. And I hear some of you saying, ?But wait, there?s no way xenophobic Hitler would cast an African-American rapper and a Chinese martial artist in his movie.? Oh, that?s exactly what Hitler would want you to think. Do you see how subversive it is now, do you?[/color][/font]

    [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate's Grade: F[/color][/font]
  • juliomendez19941
    March 22, 2012
    juliomendez19941
    To be honest I went into this with low expectations and somehow it went below my already low expectations. With Jet Li being the only redeeming value, and the only reason I saw this, there isn't much this movie offers.

    Cradle 2 The Grave is about a jewel thief's daughter who i... read mores kidnapped after he steals a collection of prized black diamonds, and that's the closest thing you'll get to a story from this movie. This movie was literally a boring experience for me. It had no interesting characters, no funny comic relief, no focus, and most of all no interesting ideas. This is literally one of the dullest action movies I've seen and lacks excitement in every way possible because the heroes come out invincible. I also didn't care for the characters either, heck I didn't even care about the little girl who got kidnapped as these characters are so thin and poorly written. It's story lacks everything you expect from a enjoyable action movie, even with low expectations it still failed to be engaging.

    Now the only person that prevented this movie from being abysmal is Jet Li. Unfortunately he doesn't get many lines, he doesn't get to act, and is only there to fight. Which is another downside as Jet Li Martial Art skills aren't use properly and his fight scenes come out poorly done. I'm serious, not even when Jet Li was using a midget as a weapon gave me any kind enjoyment. Well to be fair to Jet Li he's the only actor in this movie who came out enjoyable and it's a shame that he had to share screen time with these other actors who put no effort in there parts.

    Cradle 2 The Grave is a dull action that has nothing interesting to offer, with Jet Li unfortunately being limited in his appeal. It's a boring action movie absolutely not worth your time.
  • husky10000years
    July 19, 2008
    husky10000years
    This movie is not bad at all. This movie tries hard to have a dramatic and thriller edge that is just laughable. The thin plot has to be expected, because it doesn't change lanes, it stays were it starts and keeps going. The fight scene is decent. Basically it is just a direct-to... read more-video action movie, but with star power.
  • EbertsLittleApprentice
    July 25, 2010
    EbertsLittleApprentice
    Sensational Martial-Arts sequences. this film is pure adrenaline. It doesn't ever stop. It keeps going and going and going.

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Critic Reviews

Jon Caramanica
March 4, 2003
Jon Caramanica, Village Voice

[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. Full Review

Richard Roeper
March 4, 2003
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

This is just a horrible film, waste of time. Please, please avoid it. Full Review

Kirk Honeycutt
March 3, 2003
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter

If all this leaves viewers more drained than exhilarated, that's the nature of this particular beast.

Desson Thomson
February 28, 2003
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

A secondhand action movie that retreads all the tired staples of the 1980s and '90s.

Rita Kempley
February 28, 2003
Rita Kempley, Washington Post

It's saying something when Tom Arnold's performance is among the movie's highlights.

David Rooney
February 28, 2003
David Rooney, Variety

In Cradle 2 the Grave, producer Joel Silver returns with gusto to the mix of martial arts action and urban attitude that proved so potent in Romeo Must Die. Full Review

Mike Clark
February 28, 2003
Mike Clark, USA Today

If you're a mortgage-paying grown-up, it seems like an eternity since most of the studio's output stopped being 4-U. Full Review

Peter Howell
February 28, 2003
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

Cradle 2 The Grave is 2 ridiculous 2 B believed. And that's perfectly okay. Full Review

C.W. Nevius
February 28, 2003
C.W. Nevius, San Francisco Chronicle

A perfectly serviceable mindless action film. Full Review

Roger Moore
February 28, 2003
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

It's as idiotic as a committee of bad screenwriters could make it.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Cradle 2 the Grave Trivia

  • In what movie dose DMX costar with Mark Dacascos (and someone else, but that's just makeing it too easy)?  Answer »
  • In which movie feature all of this actor:Jet Li,Dmx,Tom Arnold,Anthony Anderson,Gabrielle Union and Kelly Hu.  Answer »
  • what film was Anthony Anderson and Jet Li both in ?  Answer »
  • Which of these movies does NOT have an appearance by Val Kilmer?  Answer »
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