(Note the early use of 3D in the title - - I could swear that middle X is closer to me!)

xXx is a very average action picture. Fortunately, director Rob Cohen brings enough style to the table to help the viewer get through the crude exposition of the screenplay. It's just a movie product, but it's a brand I might buy again when Cohen comes back to direct the third installment in the series in 2011 with: xXx: The Return of Xander Cage with Vin Diesel returning as the lead for the second time and Samuel L. Jackson in his third go round on the franchise. (No word on Asia Argento, though I wouldn't mind seeing how she's aged...)


3 out of 5.

B-

C


I saw most of it again recently and it still surprises me where the whole thing went so wrong. I am a sucker for some solid old fashioned large scale action flicks and I still think Diesel has always had the potential to be a good action star (as seen in Pitch Black or Riddick). But this film is just not exciting. It's not. I blame it on Cohen.

The film has so many ingredients that I like. For one, there's Samuel L. Jackson in a rather cool role. For another, it has good action set-pieces and they definitely didn't cut back on the money when making this. Vin Diesel looks pretty badass in this and I loved the concept of a "normal" (as in non-military) daredevil guy being thrust into this world of action. Asia Argento looks hotter than ever. It even has an appearance by Danny Trejo!

But the whole thing is just slow from start to finish. Sure there are as many explosions as in your typical Michael Bay film and there are tons of crazy stunts and car carnage....but it never feels exciting or suspenseful. It's all just there to show off how much crazy stuff Vin Diesel's character can do without ever really putting him in real danger or giving him any worthy opponents. The villain flat-out sucked.

Diesel's charisma carries it through large parts of the film and I like the scenes between him and Jackson. the scenes leading up to xXx's assignment in Prague are pretty well-done. But once he arrives there and starts investigating it keeps going downhill. The finale, in particular, is pretty lame.

Though I would actually go and see another sequel if Diesel's in it. I consider the film a large missed opportunity and since I blame it on Cohen and he's apparently not returning for the sequel, I might just give it a shot.