Hopefully by now everyone is painfully aware of the problems that plague 'Black Hollywood.' Denzel Washington and Halle Berry's historic night at the Oscars last year and their political speeches were enough to jolt anyone that was unmindful of the poor casting, lack of funding and stereotypical roles that minorities in Hollywood face.
With that said, there has been slow but encouraging improvements in all of these areas. The wave of black gangster movies, for instance, is losing popularity. But just when you thought the movie industry had changed, enter "Cradle 2 the Grave."
The movie is about a black gang of jewel thieves composed of the leader Fait (DMX), pronounced Fate, Daria (Gabrielle Union, "Bring It On"), Tommy (Anthony Anderson, "Barbershop"), and Rodney (Drag-On from the Ruff Ryder rapping cipher).
The film opens with the gang's theft of elusive black diamonds from a Los Angeles diamond vault. To give the film some credit, it doesn't rely on the gangbanging, crack-selling, pimp-slapping theme that has been so overdone in past movies. Instead our criminals are presented in the same glorified, outlaw light as white criminals would be in corresponding roles. They are sophisticated and armed with such superb technology that they are able to pull off the complicated heist in the opening scene.
In the middle of the theft, Fait receives a call from Su (Jet Li), warning him not to take the diamonds. In predictable fashion, Fait swipes them anyway, and Su begins his chase and offensive against him.
And the plot thickens.
It turns out that Su is an agent of an elite Taiwanese law enforcement agency and the diamonds aren't really diamonds, but rather a new technology of weapons of mass destruction. Ling (Mark Dasascos) and Sona (Kelly Hu, "Scorpion King") want the "diamonds" so badly that they kidnap Fait's daughter, Vanessa (Julie DuPage), in order to get them.
Once Ling and Sona have obtained the diamonds, they still do not give Fait back his daughter, and thus begins a partnership between him and Su: one is in search of the stones, and the other is willing to do anything to retrieve his child.
Needless to say, this twist of events gives the movie a sense of validity and keeps your interest. Surprisingly, DMX's portrayal is competent despite nauseating scenes where his limited acting skills aren't enough to feign any chemistry between him and DuPage. He isn't, however, entirely at fault. Either DuPage or her character is extremely irritating. I actually applauded when Sona slapped her.
Let us not forget, however, that "Cradle 2 the Grave" is an action movie that showcases one of the hottest and most talented martial artists in the world, Jet Li. Under Andrzej Bartkowiak's direction, Li sizzles. There is one scene where he makes his victory over 50 huge guys in an extreme wrestling cage look not only simple, but also realistic. The final scene between him and Dascascos, in which they fight in a ring of fire, is a scene karate buffs will be talking about for awhile.
Yet Li isn't the only character landing a precisely timed and aimed kick. Both DMX and Union have fighting scenes. Union's scene in which she takes on Hu, however, is nothing more than a catfight utilized in order to show both of the women's skin. The in
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