Product: xXx [VHS] (2002)
Rating: 5.0
Much better than I thought; an American version of 007
I didn't expect much when I started watching this movie but I was pleasantly surprised by how well-done it was and how much I liked it at the end. This movie is like a Generation X version of 007. Vin Diesel does a great job of portraying Xander Cage (a tough guy who enjoys extreme sports) who becomes recruited by the NSA to do espionage on some renegade ex-Soviet soldiers who try to set off biological/ chemical weapons in Prague and kill millions of people. The movie is a homage to 007 in many ways. The villain seeks to wreak destruction upon the world through biological/chemical weapons and his headquarters is a fortress on top of a mountain. The villain's attractive girlfriend is not who you think she is. Xander Cage receives neat gadgets from someone very similar to "Q". Using these gadgets, his brains, and his muscles, XXX barely escapes the clutches of the bad-guys. I'll leave you to guess whether XXX accomplishes his mission, saves the world and gets the girl.The pacing of the movie is fast and the action sequences are outstanding. Some of my favorite sequences are when Xander gets out of trouble by snowboarding down a staircase using a plate tray and later he escapes by snowboarding down a mountain ahead of an avalanche. XXX also gets out of a tight spot in Columbia by riding a motorcycle on top of farm houses and over barbed wires. The stunt work is just as exciting as those in 007 movies.I really liked this movie and I think it ranks with the best of the recent 007 movies (I, too, am a Bond-fan). If you like action, excitement, and great stunt-work, you would like this movie. Highly recommended!