---
title: "xXx"
year: 2002
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/xxx"
fi1m_id: "xxx"
imdb_id: "tt0295701"
tmdb_id: 7451
wikidata_id: "Q283799"
fi1m_score: 52
critics_score: 47
critics_reviews: 12
published: "2026-10-05T02:40:05.421986+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-05T02:40:05.851647+00:00"
region: "KR"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# xXx (2002)

Directed by Rob Cohen · 2h 04m · KMRB 12 · Action, Adventure, Thriller, Crime, Drama

## Identity

xXx

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/xxx
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** xxx
- **IMDb ID:** tt0295701
- **TMDB ID:** 7451
- **Wikidata ID:** Q283799
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0295701/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/7451, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q283799

**Fi1m score: 52** · Critics 47 from 12 reviews

*In a sentence:* Vin Diesel is an unusual choice for a job that sometimes requires going unnoticed

> Vin Diesel gives *xXx* enough physical authority to survive its flimsy story, but only in bursts. Rob Cohen stages some bracing action; strained attitude and restless cutting make the stretches between it a chore.

## Synopsis

Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) brings physical daring to the work of a secret agent. Agent Augustus Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson) occupies the boss’s chair, while Yelena (Asia Argento) and Yorgi (Marton Csokas) enter Cage’s orbit. A bridge-and-parachute stunt establishes the kind of danger involved, and Prague provides the setting for espionage. Cage has to put his abilities to work on an assignment, with a superior to answer to and a villain to confront. Agent Toby Lee Shavers (Michael Roof) is another of the agents around him.

## Review

*xXx* is intermittently enjoyable action attached to a spy story that cannot make the pauses worthwhile. Rob Cohen builds it around the considerable physical presence of Vin Diesel, and that is a sensible place to start. A hero who looks capable of surviving such punishment helps us accept the film’s sillier ideas. Rich Wilkes’s screenplay then asks attitude to carry far too much of the remaining work, especially whenever the action stops and somebody has to speak.

Vin Diesel gives Xander Cage an assurance the film otherwise lacks. His physical confidence is useful amid all the commotion, and we understand why the camera keeps returning to him. But it does not automatically make dialogue funny, and the effort to sound irreverent often becomes tiresome. Samuel L. Jackson, as Agent Augustus Gibbons, provides the familiar figure of the boss, which rather weakens the claim that this is a new kind of secret agent.

We were thrilled by the bridge-and-parachute stunt, because the height and the drop give the danger a scale we can immediately understand. For a moment, the eagerness to show off feels welcome. Dean Semler’s cinematography makes that drop feel more consequential than anything in the dialogue. The stunt has a clear appeal that the story struggles to match, and it briefly makes the surrounding espionage feel like unnecessary administration.

The cutting is less helpful. Editors Paul Rubell, Chris Lebenzon and Joel Negron keep pressing for excitement, but the constant hurry makes too much of the film feel alike. There is little room for a joke to settle or for anticipation to build before the next burst of activity. Randy Edelman’s music contributes to the same insistence, and we wanted more contrast from the soundtrack rather than another reminder that this is supposed to be exciting.

Prague is a more persuasive attraction than most of the plotting. Gavin Bocquet’s production design gets fewer chances to register, since the cutting rarely encourages us to take an interest in the spaces around the characters. Asia Argento gives Yelena a welcome sharpness, enough to suggest how much lighter the dialogue might have played with less strenuous posing elsewhere. Marton Csokas has less to work with as Yorgi, whose villainy feels thoroughly familiar.

The James Bond similarities are not a problem in themselves. A spy film is allowed a commanding boss, an extravagant villain and an implausibly capable hero; these can still be useful characters when their relationships have some wit. Here the dialogue works so hard at sounding disrespectful that the jokes become laboured. Rich Wilkes finds occasional crude amusement, but the script is too disjointed to keep the story moving through 124 minutes.

The reasonable defence is that none of this matters when the action gets going, and there are stretches when we accept it. The trouble is how often we are left waiting for another stunt while the film insists on its own coolness. There is enough effort here to rule out indifference, and enough physical skill to make the disappointments irritating. A taste for Vin Diesel and falls from great heights will need to do most of the work.

*Fi1m score 52, published 5 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The consensus leans towards disappointment, with praise concentrated on the stunts and Vin Diesel’s physical presence rather than the story. Several critics find enough energy in the action to make stretches entertaining, even when the surrounding film feels thin or clumsy. Diesel’s charisma earns credit across otherwise divided reviews, while individual set pieces attract praise even from detractors. The recurring reservation is that the screenplay cannot sustain the excitement, and the Bond parallels offer little freshness.

The spread runs from qualified enjoyment to outright rejection, with humour and tone dividing the reviews. Slant Magazine enjoys the crass jokes and finds the film unpretentious and expertly made; other critics find its attempts at coolness strained or its action frantic. Diesel is not universally admired either: Eye for Film treats his performance as a liability. The disagreement is chiefly over whether the spectacle compensates for the writing.

## Straight answers

**Is xXx worth watching?**

*xXx* offers occasional action thrills for Vin Diesel fans, but we score it 52/100 because the spy story makes the gaps between stunts a chore. Diesel’s physical assurance and the bridge-and-parachute stunt help, though a taste for both needs to outweigh the strained dialogue and restless cutting.

**How long is xXx, and what is it rated?**

*xXx* runs 2h 04m and is rated 12 by the KMRB in South Korea. It is an action and adventure film.

**Where can I watch xXx in South Korea?**

*xXx* is available to rent from Apple TV from ₩2,500. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is xXx, and is it suitable for children?**

*xXx* has a UK 12A certificate, and its action includes a bridge-and-parachute stunt whose height and drop make the danger feel substantial. We would be cautious with younger children or anyone troubled by peril at height; under-12s need an accompanying adult at the cinema, and the certificate does not mean it suits every child.

**How does xXx compare to Point Break?**

*xXx* shares [*Point Break*](https://film.one/film/point-break)’s combination of undercover work and extreme sport, but we recommend *Point Break* for its much stronger human stakes and rewarding chases. Both have dialogue that strains, while *xXx* depends more heavily on Diesel’s physical presence and isolated stunts to sustain our interest.

### Reviews we read (12)

- **Screen Daily**, Mike Goodridge (64/100, inferred): The review’s verdict is unavailable because the article text is hidden behind a paywall. No specific praise or complaint is visible in the accessible metadata. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/xxx/4010097.article)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The URL identifies this as a New York Times film review, but the page returned only an access-denied message. The critic’s verdict and specific praise or complaint are unavailable. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/09/movies/film-review-this-skateboard-uses-high-octane.html)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (2.5/4): Ebert gives the film a mixed verdict, finding its action spectacle more effective than its story. He singles out Vin Diesel’s screen presence as a strength. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/xxx-2002)
- **Slant Magazine**, Ed Gonzalez (2.5/4): The critic calls the film pretense-free, eager-to-please expertly made trash. He praises the screenplay’s crass humor and playful attention to Hollywood’s portrayals of foreign cultures. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/xxx/)
- **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (3/5): The review presents the film as a vehicle for cementing Vin Diesel’s macho-star status. It singles out the abundance of James Bond parallels, from Samuel L Jackson’s M-like character to the Blofeld-style villain. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-wc3czt/xxx)
- **Total Film**, Total Film (3/5): The critic finds the film brash and entertaining, though neither as cool nor as funny as it aims to be. They praise its knowingly ludicrous, explosive action and single out Asia Argento as great value. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/xxx-review/)
- **Empire**, Adam Smith (40/100, inferred): Smith finds the film sporadically entertaining but ultimately hampered by its choppy screenplay and clumsy filmmaking. He praises Vin Diesel’s physical presence and highlights the well-orchestrated action sequences. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/xxx-review/)
- **The Guardian**, Philip French (35/100, inferred): French finds the film a stale, blunt Bond imitation, weighed down by a thin story and clumsy patriotism. He singles out the spectacular bridge-and-parachute stunt sequence as a standout. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Observer_review/0,4267,815396,00.html)
- **Variety**, Robert Koehler (35/100, inferred): Koehler sees the film as a calculating commercial attraction rather than a substantial movie, though he finds Diesel’s charisma and physicality entertaining. He particularly praises the spectacular downhill action sequence and the Prague locations, while faulting the hyperkinetic editing and other production choices. [Read](https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/xxx-1200546971/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (30/100, inferred): Turan finds the film more frantic than entertaining and says it takes itself too seriously. He faults its lack of zest and good-humored energy, especially compared with the charisma of The Rock in The Scorpion King. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-aug-09-et-turan9-story.html)
- **Time Out**, GMu (30/100, inferred): The available description suggests a dismissive verdict on the film. It singles out its action-movie clichés, including attitude, muscles and evil Russians, for mockery. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/xxx-2002-film-2002)
- **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (10/100, inferred): The critic pans the film as vulgar, puerile and burdened by Vin Diesel’s performance. The stunts are visually exciting, but they cannot compensate for the screenplay and scenery-chewing acting. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/xxx-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

## Details

- **Director:** Rob Cohen
- **Director:** Rob Cohen
- **Screenplay:** Rich Wilkes
- **Cinematography:** Dean Semler
- **Editor:** Chris Lebenzon, Paul Rubell, Joel Negron
- **Music:** Randy Edelman
- **Production design:** Gavin Bocquet
- **Costume design:** Sanja Milkovic Hays
- **Producer:** Neal H. Moritz
- **Cast:** Vin Diesel as Xander Cage; Asia Argento as Yelena; Marton Csokas as Yorgi; Samuel L. Jackson as Agent Augustus Gibbons; Michael Roof as Agent Toby Lee Shavers; Richy Müller as Milan Sova; Werner Daehn as Kirill; Petr Jákl as Kolya
- **Runtime:** 2h 04m
- **Certificate (KMRB):** 12
- **Release (South Korea):** 1 October 2002
- **Genres:** Action, Adventure, Thriller, Crime, Drama
- **Budget:** $70 million
- **Box office:** $277 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgPdDDzVhkA

## Where to watch in South Korea

- Apple TV: rent ₩2,500, hd
- Apple TV: buy ₩7,000, hd

*Checked 2026-10-05.*

Also available in: AR, BE, BG, BR, CA, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, HR, IE, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, PA, PE, PT, RS, SE, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Point Break* (1991), Fi1m 82: Another collision of undercover work and extreme sport, with much stronger human stakes. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/point-break.md)
- *Police Story* (1985): Jackie Chan makes physical danger funny without making the action feel weightless.
- *The Driver* (1978): For muscular action stripped of the constant need to announce its coolness.
- *District 13* (2004): Fast, inventive chases built around what bodies can actually do.
- *The Man from U.N.C.L.E.* (2015): A spy adventure with the lightness and comic timing missing here.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/xxx