X List of Movie Reviews
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XX/XY (2002)
Rate:
4
Viewed:
1/22
1/22:
In case if you're unsure, XX is for females while XY is for males.
All right, moving on to the film, XX/XY is a prime example of chemistry coming first and then acting. In this
case, it flunks the test.
Serving as the catalyst, Mark Ruffalo is the most polished thespian of the trio. Hence, Maya Stange and Kathleen Robertson
aren't right for him. The role of Sam should've gone to a strong talented actress like Kirsten Dunst. She would
have taken the film to another level. Petra Wright isn't bad as Claire and should therefore stay put.
It's still debatable if Kathleen Robertson, whom I hadn't seen in anything other than Beverly Hills, 90210, is
capable of meeting the challenge because I believe she improved over time in XX/XY. Speaking of that, the "after"
part is a lot better than the "before" because of chemistry issues. Oddly, nobody ages; it's just haircuts and some makeup.
I didn't like Coles from the outset and knew who he was: an immature fool incapable of learning anything about relationships.
I was on Claire's side when she had a serious talk with him and was making the most sense. Then, the strangest
thing happened: after everything that occurred, she decided to stay with Coles. I guess Claire was blinded by the
fact that she invested five years into their relationship and wasn't going to let it go waste. Bad idea...she should've
left him on the spot.
All in all, get the chemistry right, and XX/XY will be a better film.
XXX (2002)
Rate:
7
Viewed:
3/03, 12/03, 1/05, 3/07, 2/10
3/07:
With many films in store, the James Bond franchise had established itself as the standard of the spy genre.
Evidently, the longer it went on, the more tired I was of the character, no matter who the actor was.
For a while, it seemed the genre was beaten like a dead horse, save for a few film with plenty of success.
Finally, a new surge of adrenaline comes forward: throw out the old, bring in the new. Exit James Bond, enter Xander Cage.
Welcome to the Xander Zone. XXX is an explosively awesome picture with exciting stunt performances,
realistic European feel, wonderful cinematography, fun characters, slick direction, and flawless CGI.
It's a combination of Point Break, James Bond, and
Die Hard.
Xander Cage is a radical dude with tons of good-looking tattoos who can surf, parachute, rock climb, snowboard, motorcycle,
drive, and blend into the underground culture seamlessly well. It doesn't get any better when Vin Diesel steps in to play him.
The concept is innovative, not to forget how fantastic the stunt actions are.
All in all, XXX is the most exciting action-adventure picture to come out in a long time.
2/10:
XXX is a positively thrilling action-adventure picture that enters new territory for spy films which is a mix of
extreme sports, 21st century hard-knocks attitude, and Playstation mentality.
What a refreshing change it is to go from the typical James Bond crap to the heavy-metal European subculture.
Xander Cage performs insanely awesome stunts with snowboards, cars, and motorcycles and blends in
well with surly tough guys because he projects the look along with his beefy physique clad with colorful,
well-designed tattoos which explains why James Bond stood out too much like a sore thumb.
There are several outstanding scenes: the shiny red corvette going over the bridge, the motorcycle flying in the air in
Colombia, and Yorgi's assassination attempt of Xander Cage. I also love it when the star declared: "You're in the
Xander Zone." Once again, the stunts are unbelievable and exciting. I didn't think it was possible that a thrilling
action-adventure film would come out in the last ten years or so due to poor acting, the overreliance of CGI, and many terrible
attempts in achieving naturalism. But what I saw in XXX has proven me wrong.
The reason why I'm changing my rating from '9' to '7' is Asia Argento. She throws the film off by failing to match the
role or, rather, the subculture. Additionally, the last fifteen minutes of chasing the missile-filled submarine is
boring. I wish the writers would think of something else more entertaining. It's also a mistake to
end Yorgi (who's well-played by Marton Csokas) prematurely by giving him an easy death.
All in all, XXX is a super fun flick that reinvents the wheel for the spy genre.
XXX: State of the Union (2005)
Rate:
2
Viewed:
1/06
1/06:
Knowing Vin Diesel didn't come back, I already declared XXX: State of the Union dead on arrival.
Yeah, after seeing it, the sequel bombs beyond recognition. Obviously, the franchise begins and ends with Vin Diesel.
I refuse to believe his Xander Cage would die just like that.
Borrowing a lot from the first picture, the sequel also rips off various films such as
Pulp Fiction,
Escape from New York,
Escape from L.A.,
Predator, and
Mission: Impossible. Even how the movie
ended after the TGV train approached Ice Cube's character when coming out of the water is exactly the same as the ending of
the original.
All in all, because of not getting Vin Diesel back, XXX: State of the Union has been transformed into a needless crappy sequel.