Official Synopsis: From Revolution Studios and Sony Pictures, Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) is a notorious underground thrill seeker who, until now, has been deemed untouchable by the law. But when crack NSA Agent Gibbons convinces Cage to infiltrate a ruthless Russian crime ring, this new breed of secret agent (codename: XXX) takes down the enemies of justice with a vengeance in this high-octane, turbo-charged thrill-ride from the acclaimed director of The Fast and the Furious.
The 15th anniversary blu-ray of xXx was released just in time for the premiere of xXx: Return of Xander Cage, the third film in the series. xXx tells the story of Xander Cage, who goes from being a rebellious adrenaline junkie to one of top secret agents of the NSA. Cage must blend in with the crime group, while also sneaking information about them back to the NSA. An interesting cast of characters are presented to Cage along his journey, which showcases his ability to out think his enemies.
xXx is non-stop action from the very moment the film begins. There is an energy felt throughout the film that greatly helps with the viewing experience. Being entertaining is the core requirement of any action film. xXx delivers on this with flying colors. The characters and dialogue are to such an extreme that one can’t help but appreciate the ridiculousness of it all. If audiences go into this film expecting a story of substance and depth, they will be disappointed a great deal. If this film were to have taken itself too seriously, it would have done quite a bit of damage to the fun tone. Fortunately, xXx does not take itself seriously in the slightest and instead decides to go all out with the goofiness. Audiences should be advised to take a similar approach while watching xXx and not take it too seriously.
The stunts and action sequences are easily the best xXx has to offer. The use of practical effects is legitimately impressive. Characters, story, dialogue all take a backseat to the action work.
There is a surprisingly vast amount of extra content featured within the 15th anniversary edition. Deleted scenes, commentary track, music videos, and some never before seen bonus content are exclusive to this blu-ray release.
Overall, xXx is a run of the mill action movie that stands out only due to its ridiculous nature. The use of practical effects for the action scenes and stunts is what may make this film more memorable than other action films from the early 2000s.
