Product: xXx [VHS] (2002)
Rating: 3.0
James Bond fuses with the X-Games and the Dirty Dozen...
Ultimate freedom would be anarchy where rules do not apply and chaos governs everything. In such society, people could do whatever they desire. Xander "X" Cage (Vin Diesel) is a freedom seeker that exercises his anarchistic politics in a personal manner, which he displays on underground websites through short films. These film clips often contain some form of extreme action sport, or high-risk activity that appeals to most, as it is dangerous and cool. However, his risk taking displays some level of selfishness, which reflects through his life of having it all, as the established part of society despises his neglectful attitude.Xander's attitude is what makes him perfect for one of the National Security Agency's (NSA) missions, as the NSA has previously lost a number of agents due to their personalities. Agent Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson) decides to recruit him and group like-minded characters. It is the edgy, aggressiveness, and distant behavior of Xander that Agent Gibbons wants for the mission, but also someone calculated, perceptive, and quick while being able to be cool. After a number of live tests, Xander passes at the top of his class and he arrives in Czechoslovakia where he is supposed to gather information on an organization called Anarchy 99.Jet-lagged and irritated Xander arrives to Prague where he meets with a city official with an inferiority complex who lays down the rules for him. Instead of playing it by the rules Xander does what he does best, his own thing. He simple walks up to Yorgi (Marton Csokas) and introduces himself as a potential buyer of luxury sports cars while blowing the cover for the insignificant police officer. Xander's attitude fits in perfect with the people in Anarchy 99, as he quickly climbs the popularity ladder in Prague.The friendships Xander makes with the people in Anarchy 99 is real, as he likes to hang out with them and do crazy stuff. However, as he gets closer to understanding them he realizes the flaw within his own logical reasoning in regards to freedom and anarchy, as total freedom could harm innocent people. This idea motivates Xander to pursue Anarchy 99, which brings the audience through a rollercoaster-like adventure where the gunshots and explosions are not far in between.XXX delivers a highly explosive action adventure where James Bond fuses with the X-Games and the Dirty Dozen (1967). The story could explore themes such as second chances, or the self-discovery in regards to anarchy. However, it does not develop an interesting theme or plot, which leaves the audience with a hollow and superficial story that relies on explosions, gunshots, and extreme sports. After awhile it becomes tedious to watch Vin Diesel out-jump and out-shoot the crooks, which really hurts the potential of the story. Nonetheless, Diesel's performance displays some quality moments where he brings out the cool edginess and quick-witted aggressiveness in Xander. In the big picture, XXX offers an acceptable cinematic experience, which has youthful coolness and refreshing moments.