Reviewed 29 Sep 2002       No newcomer, Producer Rob Cohen must have known the pyrotechnics in xXx were overdone to the point of transforming it into a cartoon.    But it didn't slow him or Director Neal Moritz down in their quest for a 21st Century American 'James Bond'.    The parallels to James Bond were so profuse it could not have been accidental - The hero single-handedly saves the world, the "Q"-clone with his bag of arcane weaponry, the 'hero' being captured -only to miraculously escape, an over-abundance of available women, the whole magilla.
       In spite of ourselves, we are taken into this cartoon experience and treated to first-rate SFX - including some startling eye-candy in the credits - so don't exit too early.    X-Treme Sports will get a giant boost from xXx : -Our hero, Xander (Diesel), rock climbs, skate boards, skysurfs, freestyle moto-x's, and snowboards in front of an avalanche -he does everything but street-luge to save the world from bio-destruction.
       Oh, those Czechs!   An abundant, refreshing crop of foreign talent was brought to the silver screen - Marton Csokas as Yorgi, the chief baddie might easily be confused for Antonio Banderas except that Csokas can act.   As refreshing was Asia Argento, as Yelena, Yorgi's erstwhile 'partner'.    Good acting, with the exception of Vin Diesel's slo-mo drone - John Wayne could get away with the slow delivery, not so, Diesel.   The music was outstanding, from opera to hard rock to symphony - not many movies would try that, let alone pull it off.    The soundtrack CD could even be worth it.    For sheer fun, and humorous, contemporary dialog, don't miss it.
               Enduring Line Or Phrase:   "If you want to save the world, make sure you send someone who likes it the way it is."

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