xXx

[Peter_Awesome 28]

I searched the forums as best I could, and did not find this movie suggested. So please don't kill me if someone already did.

 

There was Jason Statham, and before him came Sylvester Stallone. But, somewhere in the middle, Vin Diesel reigned supreme as the must-have action star. I know you guys have done Fast Five, but I think he deserves to have the rest of his work investigated. Starting with "XXX". For those unaware, he plays a criminal/extreme sports fanatic who, because he commits crimes, is recruited by the NSA to take down a Russian crime organization called Anarchy 99. This film is "great" for many reasons, my favorites being the fully Nu Metal soundtrack and how they work in extreme sports into every action scene in the film. Definitely HDTGM-worthy!

 

[RyanSz 3140]

This movie was nuts. From the over-the-top stunts and how they completely ignored physics. Also, for a guy who has committed only what can be seen as misdemeanors or small felonies, he is blackmailed into joining this extreme agency or face copious jail time. And Anarchy 99 has to be the worst terrorist group name ever, "they want anarchy and were formed in 1999," real original.

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

This movie was nuts. From the over-the-top stunts and how they completely ignored physics. Also, for a guy who has committed only what can be seen as misdemeanors or small felonies, he is blackmailed into joining this extreme agency or face copious jail time. And Anarchy 99 has to be the worst terrorist group name ever, "they want anarchy and were formed in 1999," real original.

They were based out of Russia or somewhere in Eastern Europe or something, weren't they? Why would their organization's name be in English? That reminds me, when I was a kid, I drove myself nuts trying to figure out what the hell KGB stood for until one day I realized and thought to myself "Hey, whatever it stands for, I'm not gonna know what the hell THAT means either!".

[RyanSz 3140]

Yeah they were Eastern European if I remember right, but with how loose they played with locations and people in this movie who knows. You had German metal band Rammstein in a concert in the beginning, then you have various European locations afterwards, so who knows. For all we know they are from Japan, either way it doesn't help make any sense of this shitty movie.

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

Yeah they were Eastern European if I remember right, but with how loose they played with locations and people in this movie who knows. You had German metal band Rammstein in a concert in the beginning, then you have various European locations afterwards, so who knows. For all we know they are from Japan, either way it doesn't help make any sense of this shitty movie.

I do remember in the opening scene that there was a spy in a tuxedo that got killed pretty much in plain sight while Rammstein was playing. Y'see, spies that dress all nice and stuff are total squares, and they dress like that ALL THE TIME and don't know how to blend in, because they aren't x-treme enough...or something. On a related note, "Skyfall" is on it's way to making a billion dollars, and about 12 people paid to see the "xXx" sequel.

[Lando 2019]

Just bumping this 'cause of the Riddick thread. This movie is available on Netflix instant and the most helpful review is:

As a college student in the early 1960's, I was a big, big James Bond fan. Well, now that I'm whole lot older, I'm switching to a better "Bond" - Xander Cage, AKA "XXX". The DVD was awesome - kept my attention the whole time. The X game stunts ae way better and more effective than the Bond movies' stuff. The cinematography and camera work was excellent. Even the sound was awesome - and I don't even like heavy metal. The three main characters, Vin Diesel (XXX), Asia Argento (the girlfriend), and Martin Csokas (the villian) were excellent choices and really made the movie gel. The DVD special features were even really good - they could easily have been overdone, but there was just the right balance between "mechanics of stunts" and the director's "movie vision." I highly recommend this DVD to any age group...

 

Of course I gave it a helpful vote.

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

It's funny how this and the first "Bourne" came out the same summer, and that one went on to spawn an entire franchise that also kind of inspired the Bond people to get their asses back in gear, and then the movie that was all "Fuck you, Bond! Move over, grandpa!" has just had the one sequel, minus xXx, plus Ice Cube.

[Lando 2019]

There has been a 3rd one with the return of Xander Cage that has been in limbo for a while.

[PhillipMedoc 648]

It's funny how this and the first "Bourne" came out the same summer, and that one went on to spawn an entire franchise that also kind of inspired the Bond people to get their asses back in gear, and then the movie that was all "Fuck you, Bond! Move over, grandpa!"

You are so on the mark. In the beginning of xXx (is that really it? how stupid is that?) there's that spy in a tuxedo which is obviously supposed to be a Bond-type and they kill him off. The movie was literally saying "Fuck you, Bond!"

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

There has been a 3rd one with the return of Xander Cage that has been in limbo for a while.

I think they're waiting to see if anyone gives a shit about Diesel outside of F&F. While "xXx" did alright the first time around, that was followed by years and years of Diesel flops, including "Chronicles of Riddick". Outside of the "Fast and Furious" franchise, nearly everyone IN those films has kind of floundered in their solo efforts.

[Lando 2019]

I wonder if another xXx movie would do well. Babylon AD and Chronicles of Riddick's problems were bigger than Diesel and with a decent script (decent in the dumb action sense that xXx was) I could see it doing well. Then again at the time xXx came out Bond was in a bit of a slump (they expected us to believe that Denise Richards was a nuclear physicist named Dr. Christmas Jones for fucks sake!). I'm sure if Riddick does well it will get greenlit, if not we may never know.

[RyanSz 3140]

Yeah if Riddick does well, XXX3 would be lit, but I think studios are unsure of Diesel's ability to draw in crowds after he's had so many bombs. I mean Fast & Furious was thought to be on its last leg after the fourth movie and then the fifth one was a huge hit and well received by critics, which led to Riddick getting lit I think. But I think these last two Fast movies have worked due to the sum of all the parts involved rather than just him, so I won't be surprised if Riddick underperforms. At least this movie isn't having a massive marketing campaign like the previous movie and is apparently going back the action/horror roots of Pitch Black, which is at least making me interested in seeing it.

[seanotron 2307]

The Bond connections continue with the sequel, which was directed by Lee Tamahori based on the success of Die Another Day (barf). Actually, the sequel is even worse and more WTF than this one. And Ice Cube makes Vin look like Laurence Olivier.

[thestray 361]

According to Deadline Hollywood a xXx sequel with Vin Diesel is in the works.

[Blast Hardcheese 636]

Just watched this one on Netflix and man is it dated. Stilted and cheesy dialogue, horrid CGI and the whole "Out with Bond, in with X-treme sports spy" hubris make the idea of this film alone a splendid failure. Add to this, it's punctuated with one of Paul's favorite bad movie tropes: snowboarding.

 

Highly entertaining and awful at the same time, xXx is so, so, SO worthy of the HDTGM treatment.

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

Just watched this one on Netflix and man is it dated. Stilted and cheesy dialogue, horrid CGI and the whole "Out with Bond, in with X-treme sports spy" hubris make the idea of this film alone a splendid failure. Add to this, it's punctuated with one of Paul's favorite bad movie tropes: snowboarding.

 

Highly entertaining and awful at the same time, xXx is so, so, SO worthy of the HDTGM treatment.

I think that it would be a fine episode to do around the time of the "Point Break" remake's release, as the two look pretty similar, and I don't think we're EVER going to get another "xXx".

[Ofcoursemyhorse 1043]

I think the entire episode could be spent discussing just what the fuck exactly was Xander Cages career before he got recruited into the CIA.

 

Because apparently he was making money off what was called a stunt even though he stole the car. Cut to him hanging out with Tony Hawk and talking to Eve about promotions or some nonsense. Im pretty sure Youtube wouldnt allow a criminal to post a video of himself blowing up a senators car and let him earn money off ad views?

 

Not too mention everybody knows his fucking name. How is he still operating? The government was apparently easily able to find him, why did they let him keep doing what he was doing until they decided they wanted to employ him?

[WayneMiller 37]

I need to watch this one again. Purely for the "Bond" figure being murdered at a Rammstein concert....

[Blast Hardcheese 636]

Did mention the relentless nu-metal deluge, where every song sound like Drowning Pool's "Let the Bodies Hit the Floor" (which just so happens to appear on this movie's soundtrack)?

[CodyHopper 1]

Certified tough guy/Hollywood bad boy/Hero to teen boys/Cinema's favorite jabrobro Vin Diesel kicks all kinds of ambiguously European ass. He's got the brains of a dirt bike paired the muscle and charm of a '98 Camero. Recruited and blackmailed by Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D., Xander Cage must stop a huge Rammstein fan by riding a snowboard down an avalanche. Seven words: You. Just. Entered. The. Xander. Zone. Rad.

Vin Diesel is a cool stuntdad.

He doesn't wear sleeves on his long johns.

He is my dad now.

Watch my dad's movie.

#raddadvindiesel

 

Highway to the Vin Diesel Zone:

[nthurkettle 148]

For a movie that was supposedly all about Xander Cage's TOTALLY XTREME MACHISMO BROUGHT TO YOU BY SOBE LIFEWATER, there were some really bizarre details to his character. Like, they're trying to make him the anti-Bond, and Bond drinks martinis, so when he's in a bar he orders...a cranberry and club soda? I know this movie is the epitome of 60-year old Hollywood white guys thinking they know what the kids are into, but did they really think a cranberry and club soda was going to be the signature rawkin' drink of the new millennium? (Or Willennium? Can't remember which one we're in right now.)

 

Then there's the scene where he's sneaking around Castle Von Evilstein in...a big foofy fur coat. I'm all in favor of masculinity expressing itself in many different ways but that was a...surprising detail in the middle of this giant would-be franchise launch. And weird gear to be using for stealth mode. Maybe he thought if guards came he could just crouch down and they would think he's a bean bag chair.

 

Also, the way he kisses Asia Argento is absolutely the strangest kiss an action man has ever given an action lady. It really looks like he's trying to mouth her head like a Tootsie Pop.

[GiveMeYourBaby 102]

This could be just the right film to get the James Bonding Matts out of retirement.

[Lando 2019]

[Smigg 1488]

Did mention the relentless nu-metal deluge, where every song sound like Drowning Pool's "Let the Bodies Hit the Floor" (which just so happens to appear on this movie's soundtrack)?

 

How dare you say anything bad about Hatebreed! (I just remember that song from it, and I hate to admit, I really liked it).

 

 

Although, I've just looked at the soundtrack, there are two sides, "The Heavy Metal Side" and "The Xander Side".

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

 

 

How dare you say anything bad about Hatebreed! (I just remember that song from it, and I hate to admit, I really liked it).

 

 

Although, I've just looked at the soundtrack, there are two sides, "The Heavy Metal Side" and "The Xander Side".

I think the only Hatebreed song I've heard that I can remember was the "Refuse/Resist" Sepultura cover from "Punisher: War Zone". It's okay, but they made the classic cover mistake of changing one of the better parts of the song, which in this case made it a little LESS crunchier. That's right, Hatebreed made a song sound lighter.