Was XXX A Good Concept??

[Alex]

And I mean this

So apparently it was supposed to be a different take on the spy thriller genre with the suave suited agent being replaced with a rebellious thrill seeker.

The intro to the film actually shows what they were aiming for, the conventional secret agent is killed for being too predictable

[YOUTUBE]NzjEQ3iEK-Q[/YOUTUBE]

So the NSA agency decide to for for something more unconventional, enter Xander Cage (played by Vin Diesel) it then follows like a standard spy thriller with Xander doing his own thing to get the job done.

Now I know that the film has its detractors, but whether you are or not do you think the film was a good concept at least??

I think it was, putting a new spin on the spy thriller genre with something new that people could probably relate to a bit more than a suave spy.

 

[klunderbunker]

I really liked it. They took a genre that I'm a fan of (I've seen every Bond movie) and twisted it to a new generation. Bond may be a very successful series, but there are so many cliches that it's unreal. How many times have you seen someone make fun of the opening sequence, ask why Bond doesn't just take out the guy he knows is the villain, heard an actress called the Bond Girl of the movie, or seen a guy driving a flashy sports car?

XXX takes those cliches and twists them to a new generation which is a nice change of pace. The sequel was terrible from what I heard, but going from Vin Diesel in this role to Ice Cube wasn't going to go over well. Either way, the movie was fun and it knew what it was trying to be: an action spy movie with big fast cars, ****ty women, cool gadgets, cool stunts and a lot of stuff getting blown up. That worked quite well.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Pretty much what KB said.

The original XXX provided a more edgy, modern-day take for espionage/action films. It was a refreshing treat, and XXX could've been an alternative to the Bond films, but the sequel killed any chances for a successful franchise. Yes, State Of The Union is one those films that deserves the embarrassing reputation of a real stinker. Ice Cube was an awful choice for the lead man, the directing was shit, and the story was beyond absurd. Hopefully, Vin Diesel can breathe life into the new XXX film, and Diesel's presence could provide a much needed resurrection.

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

Ah the late 90s/ early 00s. So many changes were afoot!

A question that was posed then was 'who will the next big action star be?' The larger stars of the 90s were entering their twilight and so the hunt for the next muscly jewel in the Hollywood crown was on. This was a time that Vin Diesel's name was seriously being considered given his 2 roles in Pitch Black and The Fast and the Furious. XXX could have tipped the scales in Vin's favour... yet, that never happened.

What frustrated me the most about XXX was the hero getting a gun that held space for 6 rounds yet only 2 of which are used for actual bullets. Is it perhaps bias to the bloodlust I have for films? Maybe. It's maybe the idea that an adrenaline junkie secret agent would do all these crazy stunts, both in his own time and as part of the missions, and then have to worry about shooting the RIGHT projectile that I find so ridiculous that its kept me from favouring the film.

Spoiler

Fuck yeh! 2 bullets and 4...buttons!? That'll teach the dam Russkies!

However, to answer the question at hand, yes it was a decent enough idea for a film. The execution was a bit frustrating as it was an over-the-top premise that aligned with the burgeoning interest in extreme sports at the time.
Seeing Vin Diesel reprise the role could be entertaining, though I'm slightly more intrigued by his next appearance as Riddick.

 

[Alex]

What frustrated me the most about XXX was the hero getting a gun that held space for 6 rounds yet only 2 of which are used for actual bullets. Is it perhaps bias to the bloodlust I have for films? Maybe. It's maybe the idea that an adrenaline junkie secret agent would do all these crazy stunts, both in his own time and as part of the missions, and then have to worry about shooting the RIGHT projectile that I find so ridiculous that its kept me from favouring the film.

Spoiler

Fuck yeh! 2 bullets and 4...buttons!? That'll teach the dam Russkies!

I think that was to be more of a play on the gadgets that spys like Bond would carry around (like a watch that is also a bomb and the like) yet these were actually practical.

However, to answer the question at hand, yes it was a decent enough idea for a film. The execution was a bit frustrating as it was an over-the-top premise that aligned with the burgeoning interest in extreme sports at the time.
Seeing Vin Diesel reprise the role could be entertaining, though I'm slightly more intrigued by his next appearance as Riddick.

I wouldn't say the execution was bad, it showed enough extreme sports to keep it interesting yet not to much to coverwhelm you. Now personally I think the second XXX had bad execution, that film could have worked but they cocked it up in so many ways.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I absolutely loved the first xXx movie, it was one of my favourite films for a long time. I have always been a fan of the "spy thriller" genre, and being English I obviously enjoy all the Bond movies too, with the gadgets, hot women and cars.

xXx was released at a time when extreme sports were very popular so it was a great idea, and Vin Diesel was perfect for the role of Xander Cage. While the storyline was a little bit silly in a way, it was just the mindless entertainment that the target audience was looking for, with extreme stunts, lots of guns, explosions, girls and car chases.

It was like a Bond film for the skateboarding generation, and although the sequel was VERY bad, the original is still an enjoyable film. Cool soundtrack too