The Tone Is Jet Black

Casting a Hollywood action movie these days is like the old ritual of ordering Chinese food: choose one from column A and one from column B. In column A is a martial-arts star imported from Hong Kong; in column B, a rising young African-American, usually a hip-hop performer or stand-up comic. Studio bosses have decided that the ideal action recipe, like a good Sichuan dinner, is a mix of flavors, spices and colors. And where are the white stars? Don't need 'em in the new East-West rainbow coalition. To get into a decent fight film, Caucasian actors may soon have to...

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