MovieFreak.com - "Cradle 2 the Grave" DVD Review by Dennis Landmann

When his daughter is kidnapped and held in exchange for diamonds, the leader of a crew of highly skilled urban thieves (DMX) forges an unlikely alliance with a Taiwanese Intelligence officer (Jet Li) to rescue her. Their race against the clock to find the precious stones ultimately unravels a plot to distribute a deadly new weapon of war.

Jet Li and Producer Joel Silver (The Matrix) are a great team. No, they don’t produce good films, but they know how to make a decent, if not ridiculous action film. Case in point, Cradle 2 the Grave continues their partnership in bringing dull action scripts to the big screen. Veteran director Andrzej Bartkowiak, with self-proclaimed classics like Romeo Must Die and Exit Wounds on his plate (you know I’m just kidding), brings the action to the center point in Cradle, shooting scenes from all possible angles and placing the cameras to give the action its desired effect—to visually stimulate and excite. Aside from a few good action and fight scenes, Cradle 2 the Grave is really only a mediocre and been-there done-that type of film.

The story doesn’t offer anything new, and it’s not supposed to. Screenwriters John O’Brien and Channing Gibson (Lethal Weapon 4) come up with a pretty thin story, but include some good show-stopping scenes in the script. The story uses recycled story elements and materials, and at some point (towards the near end) Cradle 2 the Grave looks like a Lethal Weapon 4 copycat. Remember the gang’s (Riggs, Murtaugh, and Butters) drive to the warehouse, the shootout, and the fight scene in the rain? There is a distinction between those scenes in this film, although the appearance shouldn’t be a coincidence, since Channing Gibson is responsible for half of the script. A major subplot involves the daughter of DMX’s character, and for some reason it works to the film’s advantage, rather than feeling forced or overly dramatic.

Surely you can’t expect much from the characters in a film such as this, but the actors here all do a pretty decent job, especially DMX and Tom Arnold. DMX’s role requires quite a bit of emotion, and the actor/rapper handles his material rather well. Tom Arnold’s introduction is classic, popping up his head from inside an army tank. Anthony Anderson (Kangaroo Jack) is still funny, though his routine is all too familiar by now. Of course, let’s not forget Jet Li, though his role here is kind of forgettable. He turned in a much better performance in Romeo Must Die, although his English is clearer and more articulated in Cradle 2 the Grave. Gabrielle Union (Bring It On) stars as an associate of DMX’s character, and she looks really good, though you can see more of her and her acting strength in another film, namely Bad Boys 2. Mark Dacascos (Crying Freeman) and Kelly Hu (X2: X-Men United) also star as the cheesy villainous couple.

What’s left to say about Cradle 2 the Grave is that it moves a bit too slow in the second act. The story is too thin and predictable that there is not enough substance to support a 101 minute running time, and there a few boring scenes. Nevertheless, Cradle 2 the Grave is a decent and at times enjoyable action film. There is nothing exceptional about the film, and yes, it’s kind of ridiculous when you look closely at it, but in the end it’s for decent measure.

Warner Bros. presents Cradle 2 the Grave in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. Colors are well defined and daylight scenes look pretty good. Some areas of the print look a little gloomy, though most of it is free of grain, and compression artifacts do not occur. Color detail looks pretty good as well. Dark tones and black levels impress a little, especially since half of the film that takes place at night. The widescreen transfer here is pretty neat as it utilizes the format to create some cool action sequences. Overall, the video quality is pretty good and very much presentable.

Warner Bros. presents Cradle 2 the Grave in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound. Blasting rap songs and the film score (by John Frizzell and Damon “Grease” Blackman) grace the soundfield and penetrate all channels simultaneously, creating a smooth surround sound experience. Sound effects like punches, gunshots, and screeching tires, you name it, all contribute to a cool auditory experience, yet the general impression of the soundtrack seems to indicate the front speakers get most of the attention. The rear speakers come alive and sound well, but they don’t act continuously. As a result, the soundtrack is not all too impressive, yet it sounds very good in general. Dialog is clear and easy to understand, a definite plus is. Overall, the audio quality is pretty good and very accurate of an action film.

3 Featurettes – First up is Ultimate Fighting Champions, a 7-minute featurette on the fighting in the film and on a few real-life fighting champions who tried to kick Jet Li’s ass, but failed. Next up is “Choreography of the Camera, a 7-minute segment on the final fight between Li and Mark Dacascos presented in part through multi-angle fashion. Lastly, “The Descender Rig” is a 3-minute look at a special rig constructed for the film. In summation, these three featurettes are pretty brief and basic, adding only very little value to the extras department.

Rounding out the extras is DMX’s music video “X Gon Give it to Ya” (3:40), the film’s Theatrical Trailer, cast & crew filmographies, and, surprise!, 2 hidden easter eggs (a time lapse montage and a look at rear projection).

You can select to view the film with optional English, French, and Spanish subtitles. The DVD’s menus are not animated. The 101-minute feature is organized into twenty-eight chapters.

Cradle 2 the Grave is just like Jet Li’s previous action films and it just as forgettable. Still, there is some enjoyment coming from the action scenes, therefore warranting a rental. The video/audio quality is pretty darn good, but the extras are a bit dull and too brief. Make this film a rental. Devoted fans of Jet Li should definitely rent it before considering a purchase.

THE MOVIE	5
THE VIDEO	8
THE AUDIO	9
THE EXTRAS	3
OVERALL (not an average)	5