Cradle 2 the Grave

"Cradle 2 the Grave" comes with all the proper action movie parts. You've got the hero (Jet Li as a Taiwanese cop called Su) and the anti-hero (rapper/actor DMX as a meticulous burglar named Fait). You've got the creepy bad guy in black leather (Mark Dacascos of "Brotherhood of the Wolf"). And you've got all the requisite sidekicks, including Fait's loyal crew, who provide both sex appeal (Gabrielle Union of "Deliver Us From Eva") and comic relief (Anthony Anderson, "Kangaroo Jack"). The bad guy even comes with the dangerously evil girlfriend (Kelly Hu). Put it together and you've all got the ingredients for the standard action movie scenarios and stunts.

Fait's crew steals a stash of what look like black diamonds and Su wants to get them back, but so does Su's former partner-turned-mercenary Ling (Dacascos). Ling kidnaps Fait's daughter, so Fait and a boy named Su (could not resist) team up to get back the diamonds and the kid.

Though it has its moments--a nice sequence outside of a high-rise comes to mind--there's nary a truly original plot-point or stunt in "Cradle 2 the Grave." Starring Jet Li, DMX, Anthony Anderson, Kelly Hu, Tom Arnold, Mark Dacascos and Gabrielle Union. Directed by Andrzej Bartokowiak. Written by John O'Brien and Channing Gibson. Produced by Joel Silver. A Warner Bros. Release. Action. Rated R for violence, language and some sexual content. Running time: 100 min