The draw of this movie is in its leading actor, Vin Diesel, whose high-performance screen name (you'll have a hard time convincing me that's his real name) is indicative of the characters he plays. I first saw him in The Fast and the Furious and knew right away that he was destined for stardom; he had a supportive role in that movie but wound up stealing the show.
In XXX, Vin Diesel is Xander Cage (another great name). The film opens with Xander Cage stealing a car. It is a fire-engine red corvette convertible which he steals from a wealthy Senator. He does this not for money, but more for the thrill of it, and to prove a point. For he does not keep the car very long. He begins making a video as he speeds away from the scene of the crime, all the while with sirens flashing in hot pursuit. Just ahead, there is a bridge, and his friends have prepared for him a ramp. He and the corvette go flying over the edge of the bridge, and he parachutes out only to land in the getaway car as the police look helplessly on from above.
This opening scene and its amazing stunt really set the tone for the whole movie. It is action packed and hard core (though not hard core as in porn as the title might suggest - haha!). The stunts in this movie really out-do what I've seen in other films, including Vin Diesel's (and director Rob Cohen's) previous film, The Fast and the Furious. There are motorcycle stunts, car chases, snowboard stunts, and even a high-speed boat stunt. By the end of the film, I honestly felt worn out.
The story is interesting in that it is a bit different. The aforementioned opening stunt catches the eye of the NSA and upon his capture, Xander Cage is given the choice of life in prison or life as a special agent. While reluctant at first, Agent Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson) and company are able to convince him otherwise. This leads him to Prague where he tracks down some Russian terrorists who are bent on toppling governments and creating chaos and anarchy. The plot of this movie, though, gets a little far-fetched by introducing some super-weapons, x-ray binoculars, etc. But I was willing to accept them all in the name of fun.
The ending is exciting, though it too is a bit much. It really is hard to believe by the end of the film that Vin's character could really survive all of these trials and stunts, but then again, that is the whole point of the movie. That no one could but a crazy criminal like himself. And as for the criminal aspect, the movie really softens his misdeeds and emphasizes his redemption (after all, he does pretty much save the world).
The ending is left open for a possible sequel, and I'd be all for it. I'd love seeing another movie like this with a macho lead actor and really cool and amazing stunts. However, next time around I'd really like to see a better story, for that would really make it the cream of the crop.
Thumbs up! No other movie out there is going to give you as much of an adrenaline rush as this. The stunts are incredible.
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