HOME   News   Reviews   Adv Search   Features   My DVD   About   Apps   Stats     Search:
  Directed by
  Starring
  Specs
  • Widescreen 2.40:1
  • 16:9 Enhanced
  • Dual Layer (RSDL )
  Languages
  • English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  • Commentary - English: Dolby Digital Surround
  Subtitles
    English, Dutch, English - Hearing Impaired, Hindi, Commentary - English, Commentary - Dutch
  Extras
  • Additional footage
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Audio commentary
  • Featurette
  • Animated menus
  • Music video
  • Multiple angle
  • Dolby Digital trailer

xXx: The Directors Cut

Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment . R4 . COLOR . 127 mins . M15+ . PAL

  Feature
Contract

Click here to enlarge and send to a friend
Surfs Up
xXx makes it third appearance on DVD in a new director’s cut released coincidently in time for the sequel that's in theatres at the moment. A vicious marketing ploy? You be the judge.

After the successful teaming of director Rob Cohen and Vin Diesel in The Fast & The Furious, the pair reunited for this action flick which is best described as James Bond for the MTV-Extreme Sports-Socially Aware-Pepsi Generation. To say there is an agenda behind this film would only reveal how jaded I have become in my thirties. Nevertheless I still thoroughly enjoyed this flick for what it is; a leave your brain at the door popcorn action flick.

Xander Cage (Vin Diesel), or xXx, is the hero of the picture; an extreme sports enthusiast hell bent on smashing the system one half-pipe at a time. Naturally the authorities aren’t too pleased about his antics and eventually Xander draws the ire of Uncle Sam in the guise of Agent Augustus Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson), who represents a faction of the NSA that deals in covert ops. Gibbons makes Xander a deal; become a spy for the NSA and the proverbial slate will be wiped clean. Gibbons thinks that these renegades are a better option than your standard military trained instrument of death in these post cold war times. Xander is obviously reluctant about working for the man, but naturally he comes around.

"The things I'm gonna do for my country."

Click here to enlarge and send to a friend
You read the bible Xander? Wait, wrong movie!

No sooner has he completed his crash course in spy school is Xander shipped off half way around the globe to stop some crazy gang of Crims that go by the handle of Anarchy 99 in picturesque Prague no less! xXx’s job is to infiltrate the gang and gather evidence but things don’t go as planned and the big lug forms somewhat of an attachment to these like minded criminals whom also are rebelling against the system. Plus it doesn’t help that one of them is female and a bit of hottie too. Making things even more complicated for our hero. Doesn't this sound a little like Point Break, or that other movie about fast cars that Vin was in? I’ll have to ponder that.

  Video
Contract

Not much has changed since the original release. Presented in 2.40:1 widescreen with 16:9 enhancement, the image is very good with only minor amounts of edge enhancement that caused a bit of ringing. Aside from that, colour reproduction is excellent and shadow detail is spot on. The image is a little noisy at times due to the film grain that is present. A common occurrence with films shot using Super35, rather than a defect in the transfer process.

  Audio
Contract

A Dolby Digital 5.1 track accompanies the feature. The soundtrack hasn't been remixed for this extended release, and the omission of the DTS track that can be found on the Superbit release is sorely missed here. Surely for this edition the good folk at Sony could have went nuts and included it to help loosen the coin from your pocket. That 'other' DTS track is leaps and bounds better than the Dolby Digital that is offered here. For me this is probably the most underwhelming surround sound action flick I have experienced in a long time.

Click here to enlarge and send to a friend
Apocalypse Wow!

Overall the Dolby mix feels very flat to this reviewer. Sure there is plenty of nice use of the surround channels but it only really lets loose in the avalanche spectacle in the last reel of the film, whereas the DTS is more upfront and in your face, especially during the action scenes featuring some truly deep thunderous bass and excellent fidelity.

  Extras
Contract

There is a commentary featuring director Rob Cohen that is informative about all things concerning the shoot and story. Cohen is a good speaker and his passion for the project sometime gets the better of him.

Next up is the end credit sequence Raw & Uncut which is the credits in all their CG glory without words all over them! A little unsure about it’s replay value here.

Click here to enlarge and send to a friend
Nothing between the ears

The extra which is probably the main selling point for this release, The Final Chapter: The Death of Xander (4:03): is presented in 2.40:1 and 16:9 enhanced with Dolby Digital 5.1 and to put it bluntly this is a totally ridiculous short film featuring some meat head stand-in for Vin and an annoying woman that xXx has brought home to presumably get his freak on with, only to be then blown to superbits chasing some kidnappers that stole his woman into a building. Does Hollywood have such a low opinion about its target audience of the sequel that it needs to kill off the previous xXx to make way for Ice cube to take over?

Moving along we have a short little fluff piece -Starz! On Set - Making Of xXx (14:32) featuring some brief snippets with the cast and crew. Agent Shavers' Gadget Presentation (3:50): presented by the actor who play’s the nerdy Agent Shavers. Someone needs to hurt this man, to say this guy is a little over the top would be an understatement!

Multi-Angle Stunts: which features two action set pieces The Exploding Barn Jump & The Bridge Jump that allows you to cycle through nine different camera angles using the angle button on your remote control.

Sneak Peek: xXx : State Of The Union (3:00): A blink and you’ll miss it piece with some brief words from Ice Cube; the new xXx.

Scene From xXx: State Of The Union (1:25): A brief scene between Agent Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson) and Darius Stone (Ice Cube) that sets up the recruiting of the new xXx.

Music Video-"I Will Be Heard" By Hatebreed: These guys aren’t for the faint of heart. Hatebreed are an excellent hardcore band and if you like what you hear here I recommend you delve into the rest of their catalogue. The video features grabs from the film and the band performing live.

  Overall  
Contract

This new directors cut adds approximately 8 minutes back into the film; offering some extra T&A and some minor scene extensions that add little to the finished product. These were previously available as deleted scenes on the collector’s edition released on DVD in 2003.

xXx is all action with a story that is a well worn and over the top. Still this movie knows what it is and doesn’t pretend to be anything other than the high octane action flick it set out to be.


  • LINK: http://www.dvd.net.au/review.cgi?review_id=5129
  • Send to a friend.

    Cast your vote here: You must enable cookies to vote.
  •   
      And I quote...
    "You're in the Xander Zone! "
    - Anthony Bethell
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Player:
          Sony DVP-NS780
    • Projector:
          Infocus 4805 DLP Projector
    • Screen:
          LP Morgan Galleria 95" 16:9 fixed screen
    • Receiver:
          Sony STR-DB795
    • Speakers:
          Sony SS-MF650HM
    • Centre Speaker:
          Sony CR550HM
    • Surrounds:
          Sony SS-550HM
    • Subwoofer:
          Sony SA-WM500M
    • Audio Cables:
          MaxCable Optical
    • Video Cables:
          MaxCable Component
      Recent Reviews:
    by Anthony Bethell

    Armour Of God - Special Collector's Edition
    "Armour of God is definitely not one of Chan’s better films. While the action is good, the weak plot and hammy acting make this a hard task to sit through. "

    Norah Jones And The Handsome Band - Live 2004
    "Ms Jones may not be everyone's cup of tea, but fans of her work will have little hesitation in adding this disc to their collection."

    After The Sunset
    "If this is an indication of what Perce Brosnan is going to do with his career post-James Bond, I’d be calling MGM and begging for my old job back!"

    Police Story - Special Collector's Edition
    "Police Story is a decent action flick that features incredible martial arts action as well as Chan's signature death defying stunts."

    Taken
    "Taken is an enjoyable series, with the DVD medium being the best way to enjoy it. "

      Related Links
      None listed

     

    Search for Title/Actor/Director:
    Google Web dvd.net.au
       Copyright © DVDnet. All rights reserved. Site Design by RED 5   
    rss