Stars:
Vin Diesel, Asia Argento, Marton Csokas, and Samuel L. Jackson
Writer:
Rich Wilkes
Director:
Rob Cohen
Feature
length: 124 minutes
Extras:
Director’s Commentary, xXx: A Filmmaker’s Diary, Featurettes, Visual
Effects How To’s, Deleted Scenes, Gavin Rossdale “Adrenaline” Music Video,
Filmographies, Trailers
Languages:
English and French Language Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions and French Language Subtitles
Packaging:
Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 28
Sound:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 2002/DVD Release: 2002
Theatrical
Distributor: Revolution Studios
Home
Video Distributor: Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: PG-13
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
Vin
Diesel stars as Xander Cage alias “xXx,” a notorious underground
thrill-seeker who in addition to confounding politicians by stealing their
sports cars as a statement against censorship, had been considered an
untouchable folk hero and by default a man under the close scrutiny of the NSA,
who recruit Xander by draft to head into Prague and uncover a terrorist threat
from anarchists. Asia Argento (Italian Horror Guru Dario Argento’s Daughter)
is the sexy love interest. As Rob Cohen states on his screen specific audio
commentary as well as the various featurettes included among the extra features
on this DVD, when he read the screenplay he immediately saw Diesel as the
signature antihero character for what could becomes a new spy film franchise.
Well the character of “xXx” is no “Snake Plissken” in terms of what I
think of when I imagine as an antihero, but he definitely commands a presence on
screen with no small thanks to both Vin Diesel and Rob Cohen who obviously have
developed a professional and personal report and respect for each other.
“xXx” is actually not that different from the standard “James Bond”
paradigm complete with gadgets, stunts, action, women, and a mad villain with a
doomsday style weapon. What “xXx” does is it updates the “spy” genre
with an agent for a new and perhaps younger generation and has a darker, but no
less glitzier look. Is “xXx” as good as “James Bond?” No, but many would
say “James Bond” is not as good as “James Bond” once was, but lets face
it, as long as the story stays consistent within the rules it sets up, viewers
should get what they expect and this is as by the numbers an action spy flick as
they come, but filtered through an inverted lens with a pseudo darker tone.
Columbia
TriStar Home Entertainment is going to release this Columbia Pictures and
Revolution Studios theatrical release as a special edition DVD with a great
looking anamorphic widescreen (2.40:1) aspect ratio that features solid colors
and nice contrasts and no compression anomalies. The English Dolby Digital 5.1
Surround Soundtrack is very well mixed with a nice aggressive quality. I wish
they included a DTS Digital Theatrical Surround Soundtrack option because I know
by the quality of the Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack that a DTS track for
“xXx” would rock. (Note to
Columbia TriStar home Entertainment: if
there is ever a
release
of “xXx” as a “Superbit” DVD,
please make it a two-disc deluxe edition so the great extra features are
preserved too. Thanks.)
A
French Language Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack and English Captions and
Closed Captions for the hearing impaired as well as French Language Subtitles
are encoded on to the DVD as options and as mentioned above, Director Rob Cohen
delivers an articulate and screen specific feature length audio commentary track
as well as an alternate commentary for all of the deleted scenes included on the
DVD too.
“xXx:
A Filmmaker’s Diary” (40:48) is an excellent documentary that covers the
entire production of the film from the initial pre-production through a detailed
look at the postproduction. This alone covers much of what anyone could possibly
want to know about the making of the film and serves as a great primer for the
other detailed featurettes included on this DVD. The documentary is spread out
into two parts covering the US production (15:24) and Prague shoot through
postproduction (25:24) that can be watched as a whole or individually.
The
other featurettes that support the documentary are as follows: “Building
Speed: The Vehicles Of xXx” (6:56), “Designing The World Of xXx” (14:36),
“Diesel Powered” (6:51), and “The GTO Is Back” (3:10) Pontiac car
commercial complete with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack. New Wave
Entertainment produced the documentary and featurettes for this DVD. Visual
Effects “How To’s” with optional filmmaker’s commentary include a look
at “Creating The Mountain Avalanche” (1:10) “Creating An Avalanche”
(1:19), and “Shack Explosion” (: 38). These demonstrations can be watched
individually or as one reel. There are 11 deleted scenes with an optional audio
commentary by Director Rob Cohen that can also be viewed individually or as a
whole to include “Sam Jackson” (: 38), “Plane Interior” (2:58), “The
Ivans”(: 45), “Underworld Club”(: 28), “Blood Splatter Dart” (: 32),
“Castle Extended/Pole Dancer” (4:59), “Girls” (1:13), “Grooming A
Scene” (1:09), “Attack Of The Czech Police” (2:02), and “Bora Bora”
(1:04). The scenes are presented in a letterboxed (2.35:1) aspect ratio with
English Stereo Sound from the postproduction studio mix.
Gavin
Rossdale’s music video for “Adrenalin” (4:19) is presented in a (2.35:1)
aspect ratio with a nice English Stereo mix. Select filmographies for Director
Rob Cohen, Writer Rick Wilkes, and Stars Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson, and Asia
Argento and (1.85:1) trailers with
full English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtracks for “xXx,” the Jack
Nicholson and Adam Sandler comedy
“Anger Management” as well as the supernatural thriller “Darkness Falls”
wrap up the extra features included on this DVD.
The
menus feature full motion scene selections and animated transitions that are
sort of like the “xXx” equivalent to the “James Bond” animated menus
found on the “Bond Special Edition” DVD releases from MGM. Overall “xXx”
is a good film that makes a great DVD. “xXx: Widescreen Special Edition”
will debut on DVD-Video from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment on Tuesday,
December 31, 2002.
©
Copyright 2002 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
The Top Ten DVD-Videos Of 2002 As Reviewed At GENRE ONLINE.NET!