Criminal Life II: A New Age

Criminal Life II: A New Age is a 2005 American action film directed by James Wong. A direct sequel to the film Criminal Life (2002) and the second part of the Criminal Life film series. The script was written by Wong and Glen Morgan. Criminal Life II: A New Age stars Jet Li and Dolph Lundgren and takes place years after the first film. After 7 years, Jack has already fully adapted to his new life. He became a respected businessman, small company owner, and loving family man. He had a wonderful wife and two wonderful children. However, the past would not let Jack go. He continued to have nightmares about his former partners who were still in prison because of his information. Jack knew this was an inevitable consequence of his decision, but he felt guilty.
Development of the film began shortly after the release of Criminal Life; David Callaham, the franchise's creator and co-writer of the first film, did not return for the second. The idea to show the protagonist's nightmares related to his past came from New Line Cinema founder Richard Bryant. From the very beginning, Wong and Morgan considered this to be the main theme of the film. Casting began in March 2004 and ended in April. The sequel was filmed in Vancouver, Canada. The first two weeks of the three-month shoot were spent filming scenes involving the roller coaster derailment.
After premiering at Grauman's Chinese Theater on February 2, 2005, the film was released theatrically in the United States on February 13, 2005. The DVD, released on July 25, 2005, includes commentaries, documentaries, a deleted scene, and an animated feature.
Criminal Life II: A New Age received mixed critical response. The film was a financial success and the box office grossed almost $157 million, which was less than the original. The spin-off was released in 2010, and the sequel in 2023.
== Plot ==
After 7 years, Jack has already fully adapted to his new life. He became a respected businessman, small company owner, and loving family man. He had a wonderful wife and two wonderful children.
However, the past would not let Jack go. He continued to have nightmares about his former partners who were still in prison because of his information. Jack knew this was an inevitable consequence of his decision, but he felt guilty.
One day, when Jack was returning home after work, his wife reported that strange writing had appeared on their door. They were written in blood and threatened Jack's family. He realized that his past had returned, and his former partners wanted revenge.
Jack decided that his family needed to leave town to avoid danger. He contacted the feds to ask for protection, and together with them he developed a plan to capture his former partners.
The operation was successful, and Jack was finally able to get rid of the shadow of his past. He realized that even if the past does not let go, it is important not to run from it, but to accept it and overcome it. Jack returned to his family and his company, knowing that he now had the opportunity to live a real, honest and happy life.
== Cast ==
* Jet Li as Jack
* Charisma Carpenter as Lucia
* Joe Wood as Jack Jr.
* Richard Ernied as Michael
* Dolph Lundgren as Brat
* Randy Couture as Eric
* Steve Austin as Ash
* David Zayas as General
* Giselle Itié as Erin
== Release ==
Several months before the film's release, New Line Cinema created a promotional website that linked to another site where visitors could download ringtones and cell phone wallpapers related to the film. As a further means of promotion, a novella written by Christa Faust was published by Black Flame a month before the film's release. Criminal Life II: A New Age premiered on February 2, 2005 at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
=== Box office ===
Criminal Life II: A New Age opened on February 13, 2005 in 2,880 theaters in the United States and Canada. It earned $16 million in its opening weekend, averaging $4,500 per theater. The film ranked second domestically. Criminal Life II: A New Age fell to fifth place in its second weekend and to seventh place in its third, falling out of the top ten in its fourth weekend. Its last showing in 110 cinemas took place on the tenth weekend; the film finished in 37th place with $97,000. Criminal Life II: A New Age grossed $65 million domestically and $92 internationally for a worldwide gross of $157 million. With a budget of $45 million, it was a box office success.
=== Home media ===
The film was released on a two-disc DVD on July 25, 2005 by New Line Home Entertainment in widescreen and full screen formats. Special features include audio commentary, a deleted scene, three documentaries, a theatrical trailer and an original animated video. The film grossed $9 million from home sales.
== Reception ==
=== Critical response ===
Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports that 56% of 116 critics have given the film a positive review, with an average rating of 6.1 out of 10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Criminal Life II: A New Age is a pointless and wildly predictable sequel that occasionally surprises." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 51 out of 100 based on 28 critics, indicating "mixed to average reviews".
Some critics called the story formulaic compared to the previous film. Roger Ebert wrote that the film's main problem was its predictability and lack of tension.