SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 17, 2000 -- A few years back, Jet Li’s ass-kicking dexterity was known only to a select few -- namely, geeky Far East cinephiles immersed in a world of fanzines and fringe video stores. And in two major U.S. flicks' time, the Chinese martial artist turned movie star has joined the ranks of other imported Hong Kong cinematic icons -- such as Jackie Chan and Chow Yun-Fat -- in successfully making the crossover from the niche market of Asian cinema to the cash cow of Ho