Product: xXx [VHS] (2002)
Rating: 3.0
Pretty Good for a Rammstein Music Video
With action, gadgets and some heavy music thrown in, "XXX" promised a hell of a lot. For someone as shallow as me, it really appeared to be almost the perfect movie. For the first time I saw it, it was pretty good.The story basically follows the daredevil Xander Cage, (Diesel), as he gets busted for doing videos that incorporate stunts with other people's cars, (without their permission). Recruited as a secret agent, he is then sent to Eastern Europe to infiltrate and stop a group from deploying chemical weapons all over the world. It is a pretty basic story line, and nothing to get so worked up about. It has the usual love-interest, and so on, along with the nerdy-gadget man, (a new generation Q).The first time I saw "XXX", I rather enjoyed it for what it was: a basic, no-brainer action film. Taken in that light, the film is enjoyable and entertaining. However, for any subsequent times, the high point was really the scene which has Rammstein playing "Feuer Frei!!". After this, the action becomes a bit monotonous and one realises that they did not miss anything in the first viewing.The acting of Vin Diesel gets a bit cardboard-like at times, which is something that worked well for other action stars, but hardly works for a character that has been described as a new "James Bond", (ref. Time Magazine). The bad attitude, bad boy image just does not come off with the same coolness that someone such as Sean Connery brought to Bond.Taken for the simple actioner, "XXX" is not bad, though it is much better as a music video for Rammstein. I would advise hiring from your local DVD store, rather than buy it. It is not something you could sit through a few times.