XXX ---- *1/2 (out of 5) (2002)
Cast: Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson, Marton Csokas, Asia Argento, Michael Roof
Director(s): Rob Cohen
Screenwriter(s): Rich Wilkes
Released on: August 9, 2002
Reviewed on: June 15, 2003
Rated: PG-13 - for violence, nonstop action sequences, sensuality, drug content and language
The badass daredevil of our story, Xander Cage, is known all over by extreme sports fanatics in love with his risk-taking attitude. He has XXX tattooed on the back of his neck, and that's how he develops his nickname. Gibbons, an agent working for the NSA, likes XXX's charma and tests his skills at escaping sticky situations. Xander is then hired as an agent to find information on an underworld crime organization called Anarchy 99. He manages to put up a front and become partners with the leader of it all. He also falls in love with his girlfriend. XXX eventually blows his cover and soon discovers a plot to use an atomic warhead to destroy a city. If you can name anything about the plot that has originality, I'll be thoroughly impressed.
I may be being too critical in saying this, but I didn't care for any one of the characters. XXX has terrible one-liners, pulls off unrealistic stunts, and has an annoying attitude which makes him all the more lovable to Diesel fans, of course. His girlfriend, who turns out to be a Russian agent rather than a member of Anarchy 99 (whoops sorry about the spoiler!), is so two-faced that we know immediately that she's not who she says she is. Don't worry about that revelation there. I'm sorry but unless you think she's a great character, you won't be surprised and probably won't care when you find out that she is a secret agent just like X. These characters almost remind me of the hokey heroes and villains from old Bond films only much more shallow. It's hard for me to say such more since the movie didn't keep my attention that well.
To me, action films that generally stink in key areas will excel in the visual category. If you're a critic and you're viewing XXX with some of your friends, don't rant about how bad the story is and how fake Vin Diesel's stunts are. Just shut up and suck in as much action as you can because that's probably all you'll get out of it. Honestly, who is going to be raving when the credits roll about how well-developed the characters were? Get real. If I know people, then I know that they're going to be exclaiming to each other about the awesome explosions and mind-blowing action. XXX does deliver that kind of content in plentiful amounts along with some sensuality for the pubescent male crowd (even though I am in that age range) and I am giving it credit for doing so. No matter what kind of movie-going person you are, XXX just doesn't deliver enough in the important areas and no one will feel fully satisfied after seeing it.
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