Film: Cradle 2 Tha Grave

[achtungbaby]

I had convinced my friends to join my in this movie by describing it as Rush Hour without the racist humour. Unfortunately, I was wrong. This movie is more like Exit Wounds and Romeo Must Die all rolled up into one. Same director, same actors (except for Jet Li), same story.

I have to admit, I was there for Jet Li. True, he had less dialogue than most of the scenery, but his new "bad-ass" persona is more than a little breath-taking. When he opened up that can of whoop-ass, every white-boy in a three mile radius was shaking! Plus, we got to see him flossing in a sleek black convertible. Ass-kicking has never looked this good.

Jet Li plays stoic Su, the Taiwanese cop who is sent to America to retrieve some black diamonds, which aren't merely pretty gems, but something more valuable and powerful. Strangely, although these rocks are a Taiwanese treasure, they send only Jet Li to retrieve them. He may be a one-man army, but that's a little unrealistic. I mean the man deserves a little back-up! Give the man a gun or somethun'!

http://yellowworld.org/Reviews-req-showcon...tent-id-17.html (http://yellowworld.org/Reviews-req-showcontent-id-17.html)

[Napoleon Chynamite]

Hmm, really? I actually heard it was pretty darn bad, but......I'll probably end up see it anyway (just like every other Chinese guy looking for that little inch of pride and identity) =P

[Commando_turned_MD]

I like Jet....................

But this is extreme crap.........

Exit wound---------------Extreme crap ^10
Segal and Ja Rule flick (the movie was so bad that I could not even remember the name)--------------Extreme crap ^20

[kitty]

I never *said* it was a good movie :) I said it had nice action scenes with stupid plot. And I don't go to Jet movies for plot...

[kimpossible]

All I'm hoping for is a good enough fight scene between a glamourized Mark Dacascos and Jet Li for my hungry little female eyes to feast on.

[SunWuKong]

hey it's a kungfu movie. go in expecting anything more and you'd be sorely dissappointed.

[Napoleon Chynamite]

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Mar 2 2003, 06:51 PM
hey it's a kungfu movie. go in expecting anything more and you'd be sorely dissappointed.
Problem is most kung-fu movies nowadays have not even been living up to my kung-fu movie expectations, much less anything beyond that. :lol: :unsure: :(

[Shuriken]

I saw Cradle 2 the Grave over the weekend, and on the whole, I like it. It isn't up to the standard of Romeo Must Die, but the story is engaging, and the action scenes pack a visceral punch. Unfortuantely, an ill-timed coughing fit sent me into the lobby for a drink of water just at the time that the story had Jet Li and DMX partner up. So, I never learned why a Taiwanese agent would team up with a jewel thief, rather than do something more sensible, like engage the local authorities. Ultimately, their partnership never made any sense to me, but since I missed the scene where it was supposed to be explained, I guess I can't really complain about it.

A few of the things I didn't like:

• The constant use of racial slurs throughout the movie — maybe it's "realistic," but it comes off as condoning that kind of talk.

• Jet Li is once again the sexless fighting machine with no visible family.

• Kelly Hu keeps getting cast as all of these street-tough bad girls (like in Martial Law), but she talks and carries herself like she just got out of a Beverly Hills finishing school. If she's going to keep playing these kinds of tough-girl roles, she needs to take some pointers from Michelle Rodriguez or Ashley Scott.

Hey, the movie was #1 at the box office this weekend. How 'bout that?

[yoMAMA]

Kelly Hu, now that is one FINE looking woman....me drools all over the keyboard :o B)

Now I don't see why can't hollywood hook them together....

Wait, it's hollywood, isn't it? :(

Nevermind. :pissed:

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by Shuriken@Mar 3 2003, 02:48 PM
I saw Cradle 2 the Grave over the weekend, and on the whole, I like it. It isn't up to the standard of Romeo Must Die, but the story is engaging, and the action scenes pack a visceral punch. Unfortuantely, an ill-timed coughing fit sent me into the lobby for a drink of water just at the time that the story had Jet Li and DMX partner up. So, I never learned why a Taiwanese agent would team up with a jewel thief, rather than do something more sensible, like engage the local authorities. Ultimately, their partnership never made any sense to me, but since I missed the scene where it was supposed to be explained, I guess I can't really complain about it.

A few of the things I didn't like:

• The constant use of racial slurs throughout the movie — maybe it's "realistic," but it comes off as condoning that kind of talk.

• Jet Li is once again the sexless fighting machine with no visible family.

• Kelly Hu keeps getting cast as all of these street-tough bad girls (like in Martial Law), but she talks and carries herself like she just got out of a Beverly Hills finishing school. If she's going to keep playing these kinds of tough-girl roles, she needs to take some pointers from Michelle Rodriguez or Ashley Scott.

Hey, the movie was #1 at the box office this weekend. How 'bout that?
jet li and dmx teamed up because one being asian and the other being black, they must promote racial harmony by teaming up.

[Napoleon Chynamite]

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Mar 3 2003, 01:03 PM
Originally posted by Shuriken@Mar 3 2003, 02:48 PM
I saw Cradle 2 the Grave over the weekend, and on the whole, I like it. It isn't up to the standard of Romeo Must Die, but the story is engaging, and the action scenes pack a visceral punch. Unfortuantely, an ill-timed coughing fit sent me into the lobby for a drink of water just at the time that the story had Jet Li and DMX partner up. So, I never learned why a Taiwanese agent would team up with a jewel thief, rather than do something more sensible, like engage the local authorities. Ultimately, their partnership never made any sense to me, but since I missed the scene where it was supposed to be explained, I guess I can't really complain about it.

A few of the things I didn't like:

• The constant use of racial slurs throughout the movie — maybe it's "realistic," but it comes off as condoning that kind of talk.

• Jet Li is once again the sexless fighting machine with no visible family.

• Kelly Hu keeps getting cast as all of these street-tough bad girls (like in Martial Law), but she talks and carries herself like she just got out of a Beverly Hills finishing school. If she's going to keep playing these kinds of tough-girl roles, she needs to take some pointers from Michelle Rodriguez or Ashley Scott.

Hey, the movie was #1 at the box office this weekend. How 'bout that?
jet li and dmx teamed up because one being asian and the other being black, they must promote racial harmony by teaming up.
They need to make a movie where an all-American white hero teams up with a Taliban badass, and then the Taliban guy fucks the white guy's hot sister(complete with mutual consent) . Only then can Hollywood prove its open-mindedness to me.

[Shuriken]

Originally posted by FrozenPizza@Mar 4 2003, 12:11 AM
They need to make a movie where an all-American white hero teams up with a Taliban badass, and then the Taliban guy fucks the white guy's hot sister(complete with mutual consent) . Only then can Hollywood prove its open-mindedness to me.
And the white sister will have to fall in love with the Talib at first sight and kiss him romantically during their first meeting. Hey, what's sauce for the goose...

[mr. x]

and in the stereotypical, rules for ganging up on the hero, the guys in the cage fight each take their turn...

[chris_lewis108]

damn it, li needs to get some trim at least once in these movies, even bruce got some for the luva

[Napoleon Chynamite]

Originally posted by chris_lewis108@Mar 3 2003, 09:56 PM
damn it, li needs to get some trim at least once in these movies, even bruce got some for the luva
I think Li, just like Jackie Chan, hardly ever kisses anybody in his movies, even in his HK movies.

[kitty]

Isn't that cuz he refuses to 'cuz he's happily married?

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by kittygirl@Mar 4 2003, 01:26 PM
Isn't that cuz he refuses to 'cuz he's happily married?
don't know
but jackie has cheated on his wife before
and bore an illegitimate child, too

either way, i wish people would stop complaining about them not getting any poon in their movies. they don't owe it to anybody to get poon in their movies. just let them do their thing. they're not asian american. they're just here to make money and make careers for themselves. besides, they're doing great in terms of putting asian faces in hollywood, on and off the screen.

[chris_lewis108]

jet li has a wife in "the one" and still didn't get none from her, he killed her in that one for shit's sake

SunWuKung i said my piece as a jest, and i agree that they are not asian american but they still make a reference of what america sees in the asian american culture as long as those movies are on american big screens

and as far as putting asian faces in hollywood, i don't think it is a big jump seeing as how they are perpetuating an age old stereotype of asian males, i want to see some asian american males in a role besides "the kung fu guy"

[mr. x]

the thing about The One though is that nobody, in any movie really, gets it on with their wife. Sex in hollywood films (specially action) is used as a "high point" of the hero and his love interest's relationship. Like this is the part where she stops being feministic or reluctant and says "lets do it. " A marriage however, isnt really going anywhere so theres no need for the sexual suspense.

[Napoleon Chynamite]

Yes, one more time for the masses. Neither Jet Li nor Jackie has never really got any poon in any of their movies beyond hugging or snuggling, whether it be a Hollywood or Asian film.

[chris_lewis108]

yeah but he still didn't have to kill her for chrissakes, she was cute :P

[mr. x]

that was his evil twin remember? (ah yes, the evil twin excuse)

[Shuriken]

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Mar 4 2003, 07:48 PM
i wish people would stop complaining about them not getting any poon in their movies. they don't owe it to anybody to get poon in their movies. just let them do their thing. they're not asian american. they're just here to make money and make careers for themselves. besides, they're doing great in terms of putting asian faces in hollywood, on and off the screen.
Well, when an Asian man plays the title role in a movie called Romeo Must Die and doesn't get to kiss his Juliet, something is screwed up. Meanwhile, Hollywood is full of highly contrived stories where Asian women fall in love with white men at first sight (Come See the Paradise, The Lost Empire, etc.). If there were more Asian leading men in Hollywood besides these sexless action stars, maybe the situation would be different. But as it stands, the celebate Asian martial artist looks like another way for Hollywood to perpetuate the de-sexualization of Asian men.

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by Shuriken@Mar 4 2003, 06:30 PM
Well, when an Asian man plays the title role in a movie called Romeo Must Die and doesn't get to kiss his Juliet, something is screwed up. Meanwhile, Hollywood is full of highly contrived stories where Asian women fall in love with white men at first sight (Come See the Paradise, The Lost Empire, etc.). If there were more Asian leading men in Hollywood besides these sexless action stars, maybe the situation would be different. But as it stands, the celebate Asian martial artist looks like another way for Hollywood to perpetuate the de-sexualization of Asian men.
something is screwed up with hollywood - this isn't exactly news to me.
the only agenda that hollywood has is $$$.
they're not going to put asian men in romantic roles unless they're convinced that this will make them $$$, instead of making them lose $$$.
there are lots of male asiaphiles out there. what else is new?

at any rate, read my comment again, it was specific to jackie chan and jet li.

i don't know about jet li, but jackie chan has enough control over his productions that he could put in asian women or even white women for him to do romantic scenes with. i'm almost certain that jet li could convince his producers/directors to do the same. once again, let me repeat: they don't do romantic scenes, whether they're doing an american film or a hong kong film.

roger ebert defended justin lin's Better Luck Tomorrow when he was confronted by an asian member of the audience at a q&a for protraying asian people in a negative light. i will paraphrase one thing that ebert said of lin: "the only responsibility that he (lin) has to his community is to make a good film."

[chris_lewis108]

something is screwed up with hollywood - this isn't exactly news to me.


so... people don't have the right to express thier feelings about it?

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by chris_lewis108@Mar 4 2003, 09:00 PM
something is screwed up with hollywood - this isn't exactly news to me.


so... people don't have the right to express thier feelings about it?
oh you have the right to express your feelings about it. i didn't say you don't. i also have a right to say that it's nothing new.

[blkazngirl]

Love the new movie. I want to know if anybody noticed this. The first two scenes where Jet is fighting. He seem to be only using his right hand. First scene where he is in the guys apartment. He was so fast I couldn't tell if he slapped the guy down or punched him. All I know he's ass is fast! :o Somebody help a sista out.

[Napoleon Chynamite]

Originally posted by tazadar@Mar 5 2003, 11:02 AM
Sista, I would if I've seen it. I'll wait for the DVD. I don't like sitting in a theatre.
Afraid of the dark? Me too. I need Jay Chou to cuddle up next to me.

jp :dance:

[mr. x]

Originally posted by blkazngirl@Mar 5 2003, 10:14 AM
Love the new movie. I want to know if anybody noticed this. The first two scenes where Jet is fighting. He seem to be only using his right hand. First scene where he is in the guys apartment. He was so fast I couldn't tell if he slapped the guy down or punched him. All I know he's ass is fast! :o Somebody help a sista out.
you werent bothered by the black vs. asian cat fight right? didnt bring out any animosities?

heh jk around

[Napoleon Chynamite]

I'm seeing it next weekend, but only b/c people keep telling me that it wasn't nearly as crappy as they had expected.

[Rogmok]

i just saw cradle 2 the grave.. and i must say.. it was entertaining. Wasn't the most complex plot i've ever seen.. but the girls were hot, cars were semi expensive and the fighting was good.

i'm satisfied.

What is the black actresses name??

[blkazngirl]

Originally posted by mr. x@Mar 6 2003, 06:15 AM
you werent bothered by the black vs. asian cat fight right?  didnt bring out any animosities?

heh jk around
I wasn't aware that there was Blacks and Asians in the movie. However, I did notice the White guy! Only kidding, no it doesn't bother me. It was just fights good and bad, not race against race.


The Black actress name is Gabrielle Union. She's in the movie called, "Delivery us from Eva" That is a funny movie.

[mr. x]

i was just joking about the race thing, cuz its obvious the filmmakers considered it. Didnt get to see Gabrielle's Unions though (but that dude in the seat did).

the thing was, the plot WAS complex. It had every action movie setup all in one. The secret agent, the arms dealers, the asian bodyguards, the black guy who wants to go straight, and so on and so forth.

[AznYam]

i didn't really like cradle 2 the grave. especially the part when dmx ran up that wall. liked the jet li vs. UFC champion fight tho. nice teaser.

[blkazngirl]

Yeah, did you catch that wall bit. I was like leave stuff like that for Jet, ok? Alll in all I would like to see Jet be the main charactor, get the girl, kick ass, and save the world. I guess the parts are out there, but Hollywood may not think his english is good enough or vs a versa. He has been studying for four years.

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by blkazngirl@Mar 7 2003, 11:22 AM
Yeah, did you catch that wall bit. I was like leave stuff like that for Jet, ok? Alll in all I would like to see Jet be the main charactor, get the girl, kick ass, and save the world. I guess the parts are out there, but Hollywood may not think his english is good enough or vs a versa. He has been studying for four years.
i was actually pretty impressed with the improvement he's made with his english.
but honestly, i'd rather see him doing more chinese movies where he's the main dude kicking ass.

[angelwiththesword]

i am really looking forward to this flickshow.

i am hoping that there is more martial arts in this then guns.
Kiss of the Dragon, for example, was much better then The One for the sole purpose of the fact that Jet Li played a martial arts master cop dude.
lots of hand to hand.
especally with the class of Black Belt Karate people in the police station.

if Cradle is going to be something like that, it will be worth seeing

[Rogmok]

who was the asian bad guy??? he didn't even look asian, but he spoke chinese in one of his scenes..

[kitty]

Originally posted by Rogmok@Mar 10 2003, 03:19 PM
who was the asian bad guy??? he didn't even look asian, but he spoke chinese in one of his scenes..
mark decascos... he's hawaiian. and his mandarin was terrible. jet li also had an accent....

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by Rogmok@Mar 10 2003, 10:19 AM
who was the asian bad guy??? he didn't even look asian, but he spoke chinese in one of his scenes..
mark dacascos (http://us.imdb.com/Name?Dacascos,+Mark)

[Napoleon Chynamite]

Originally posted by kittygirl@Mar 10 2003, 08:10 AM
mark decascos... he's hawaiian. and his mandarin was terrible. jet li also had an accent....
Just saw Cradle to the Grave earlier tonight w/ my friend....

Dacascos is underrated both in acting and physical ability. Regarding his
Mandarin......wellll I guess it coulda been worse (better than that one guy's Korean, the black guy who supposedly resides in the 'highly-privileged' quarters of his prison :lol: ).

Kelly Hu looked good, that's all she was there for I thought.

Gabrielle Union's striptease scene was excessive but hey who is complaining.

The cage fight scene was excessive

DMX did a good job, he was funny, I liked him.
Jet Li did a good job too, not too bad...the fight choreography was decent enuff, better than expected

I liked Cradle to the Grave better than any of Jet's Hollywood movies thus far, but what does that really say anyways....*shrug* *sigh* I kinda liked how they actually tried to add personality and humor to the stereotypical Asian thugs/bad guys (but not enuff, obviously). This movie was funny tho...part of its appeal

[Everglaze]

The movie was alright or just plain good at best in my opinion.
I went and saw it the day it came out. I didn't expect anything major either, I already had a feeling that this wasn't gonna be as good as 'Kiss of the Dragon'.

DMX was alright but yeah I do agree with him trying to be all sad and **** turning out a bit lame.

However, I did like Jet Li fighting the UFC guys and Tom Arnold's humour and of course Kelly Hu just cause she's hot

The final fight scene should have lasted longer and should've ended a better way rather than a plutonium explosion...*don't wanna spoil anything in detail*

Anyway, I think Jet Li's best american movie is 'Kiss of the Dragon'. I know at least I liked that one better than this one.

I rented 'The Enforcer' a few days ago and man, the action in that movie kicks so much ass compared to any of Jet Li's american flicks. Hong Kong all the way.

Oh yeah, and I also had to watch 'Fist of Legend' just for the last fight scene...that scene lasted so long, that's how Jet Li's american flicks should be like...lasting long with lots of martial arts action.

[kimpossible]

Mark Dacascos is fluent in German though.