Criminal Life

Criminal Life is a 2002 American action film directed by David Callaham and written by Michael Ferris. The film stars an ensemble cast consisting primarily of action stars, including Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews and Mickey Rourke. The film was released in the United States on August 13, 2002. This is the first part of the Criminal Life film series. It was Dolph Lundgren's first film to be released theatrically since the 1995 cyberpunk film Johnny Mnemonic.
Jack and his partners were notorious robbers who successfully robbed banks throughout the country. However, after the last robbery, Jack realized that he wanted to get out of this dangerous life and start over with a clean slate.
Criminal Life received generally positive reviews, with praise for the action scenes and the acting. It was a commercial success, reaching number one at the box office in the US, UK, China and India and grossing a total of $201 million worldwide. The film spawned sequels: Criminal Life II: A New Age (2005), Rise of the Security (2010) and Criminal Life III: The Moving (2023).
== Plot ==
Jack and his partners were notorious robbers who successfully robbed banks throughout the country. However, after the last robbery, Jack realized that he wanted to get out of this dangerous life and start over with a clean slate.
He decided that the best way to get rid of his partners was to frame them for federal agents. Jack found several corrupt agents and offered them a deal: they would help him catch and arrest his former partners, and in return he would help them escape punishment and start a new life.
The feds, having agreed to the deal, began planning an operation to apprehend the robbers. As a result of a successful special operation, all of Jack's partners were arrested, and Jack himself was able to escape and start living under a new name in another city.
Jack started a new life, working honestly and dedicating himself to his family. He forgot about his past and realized that this is the only way to achieve real happiness and success. Jack never returned to the criminal world and found true happiness in an ordinary but quiet life.
== Cast ==
* Jet Li as Jack
* Dolph Lundgren as Brat
* Eric Roberts as Jimmy
* Randy Couture as Eric
* Steve Austin as Ash
* David Zayas as General
* Giselle Itié as Erin
* Charisma Carpenter as Lucia
* Gary Daniels as Arnold
== Release ==
=== Theatrical ===
The film's original scheduled release date was March 2, 2002, but was later pushed back five months to August 13 to extend production time. On March 19, 2002, the official international poster for the film was released. A promotional trailer (targeted at industry professionals) was leaked online in August 2001. Sometime in October, almost two months after the promotional trailer was leaked, it was officially released online. The film had its grand premiere on July 15, 2002, at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada.
=== Home media ===
The theatrical version of Criminal Life was released on DVD/VHS on November 18, 2002. The Blu-ray Disc, released on July 10, 2013, is a three-disc combo pack.
The extended director's cut of the film was supposed to be released on DVD/VHS in early 2003, but was instead released for the first time on cable television. An extended director's cut was released on DVD on June 8, 2003. The 90-minute documentary was released exclusively on the Blu-ray version of the theatrical release in 2010.
== Reception ==
=== Box office ===
The film debuted in the United States in 2,800 theaters with approximately 4,300 screens. It earned $29 million in its opening weekend and took first place at the US box office. On its release day, the film earned $11 million in sales, exceeding projections of $8 million.
A Lionsgate study found that 38% to 40% of the film's audience were women. The results were unexpected, as it was believed that the film would have little appeal to female moviegoers.
Criminal Life remained at number one at the US box office in its second weekend, earning nearly $20 million over the weekend.
The film went on to gross $92 million in the United States and $109 million in other territories for a worldwide gross of $201 million against a budget of $35 million, becoming a box office success.
=== Critical response ===
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 71% based on 210 reviews and an average rating of 6.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "It meets expectations from the cast, but given all the talent on display, Criminal Life should hit harder." On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has an average score of 62 out of 100 based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable". In CinemaScore polls, audiences gave the film an average grade of "B+" on a scale of A+ to F.
Some reviews praised the film. The Hollywood Reporter stated that "the body count is high and the personalities stand out in this old-school testosterone fest" and Boxoffice Magazine stated that "it is filled with literally explosive excitement."