Product: xXx [VHS] (2002)
Rating: 4.0
An entertaining thrill ride of a film
I'm not a huge fan of action movies, but I've quite enjoyed both of the XXX films. The original, starring Vin Diesel, is chock full of things that go boom, and I don't think the story is all that bad. I was especially happy to finally get to see Asia Argento for the first time - she is, among other things, the daughter of one of the true greats of European horror. I must admit I'm still not quite sure what all the Vin Diesel hysteria is about, though. He's certainly a different breed of actor, but I thought he had a few moments of inconsistency here. One thing I really don't understand is the inevitable comparisons between XXX and James Bond. I would never have even thought of comparing them because I see them as two completely different characters occupying opposite ends of the secret agent spectrum.So, anyway, Vin Diesel plays Xander Cane, a rebel with an X Games mentality and a penchant for sticking it to the man. It's enough to get him noticed by NSA Agent Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson), and - needless to say - Xander passes Gibbons' test and soon finds himself ensconced amidst a group of dangerous anarchists in Prague. The bad guys are your typical malcontented youths who oppose everything society stands for and revel in the idea of unfettered freedom. What makes them special, though, are the scope of their operation and the plans they are cooking up to make the whole world all but implode. The newly christened XXX knows how to walk the walk and talk the talk, and that puts him in a position to learn just what Anarchy 99 is up to. Naturally, there's a woman thrown in the mix - the mysterious Yelena (Asia Argento), a pivotal member of the organization who might very well be more than she seems. It is the special effects rather than the actual storyline that tend to dominate the movie, though - and that's fine because it makes XXX a pulse-pounding cinematic experience. Of course, if any of the bad guys could hit the broad side of a barn with their weapons, XXX would have been down for the count before he even got started.I thought the stunts and special effects were well above average. As the Filmmaker's Diary documentary and making-of featurettes show, director Rob Cohen relied on actual stunts rather that CGI whenever possible (one stuntman died during his work on the movie), making XXX more realistic than a lot of other action films. Xander himself is the proverbial anti-hero, and that always seems to appeal to audiences. The pumped-up soundtrack only adds more energy to the almost nonstop action on the screen. In essence, XXX has all the makings of a solid summer blockbuster - and that's exactly what it was.