I saw the trailer for XxX on the internet almost two months ago and thought that it looked fantastic. Bearing in mind I was planning a visit to the US I was looking for something which was not likely to come to the UK for some time (I did this in 1999 for Episode 1).

I have to start by saying that this was a major disappointment. I went to a late showing with some friends hoping for a rollercoaster ride. Instead I got a merry go round of awful music, wooden acting, shoddy sets, poor lighting and a truly unbelievable Austin Powers like weapon of mass destruction. In fact the production of Austin Powers seemed like a real bond film compared to this caper.

It appears that Sam Jackson is prepared to cheapen himself more and more often with roles of little substance though you have to admire his work ethic. Jackson is helped little by a lazy script which has a first draft quality about it. Surely this film didn't get funded from a story board and special effects demonstrations?! If so then shame on hollywood.

Now I must qualify my comments here. I am a fan of the action genre. I actually liked MI:2 because it looked great, had a better than Bond plot and was directed with pace and flair. XxX however has none of these elements and therefore fails to even get close to recent spy hits such as Charlies Angels or The Bourne Identity.

Vin Diesel has something about him. He has a knack of not looking like he is acting which is fine when he is in a role that suits. As Xander though you expect more from a lead but Diesel is all too content to mumble between action scenes with apparently no weaknesses (even Superman had some of those).

It is ultimately though the films manufacture which fails it. The cast is reasonably strong for a film of this type. The audience should be able to take their brain out and enjoy but all the way through I could not get away from how bad I thought the film was.

It seems the movie going public of the US disagrees with me, going in their droves to see this but I suspect that after opening weekend in the UK this film will do little to recommend itself to the rest of the UK audience. But then again, I don't think that it was made for us.

Hope you enjoy it more than I did.

Recommended:
No

Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older