x X x

In a Nutshell: A surprisingly good (but certainly not deep) action flick.

Quick Plot: Xander Cage is given the choice to serve time for his latest X-games type crime, or work off his sentence by becoming a spy for the US government. Throw in scuzzy bad guys, a slinky girl with an accent, a plot to take over the world, and about a million gallons each of adrenaline and testosterone, and you've got yourself x X x.

In Detail: I'm sure the fact that I even went to see this movie has raised eyebrows among some of you. I wasn't sure if I wanted to or not, but it was the only thing out I was even remotely interested in seeing. Mr. Diesel (couldn't even type that with a straight face) struck me as merely a no-neck thug who couldn't act his way out of a paper bag, and I had absolutely zero expectations for this movie. It is a totally brainless adrenaline film, and there's nothing wrong with that! (Speed is one of my favorite films, and it's pretty brainless.) I knew that going in, and it certainly didn't disappoint. The stunts are simply amazing (and occasionally believable), and the action (along with the deafening music) is non-stop. Vin Diesel even manages to convince you he might have a few of brain cells to rub together, which was a pleasant surprise. Occasionally, some of the dialog/acting was laughable, but what do you expect from such a genre? Some of the song lyrics were a little too, um, "much" for me, and I'm always slightly irked by putting in a girl just so the male lead has someone to oogle. "Gadget guy" (think Q, for Bond fans) is way fun, and definitely my favorite character. A deep movie? No. Predictable? Yes. But I still had a fabulously fun time!! Looking forward to the next installment in the franchise.

Will I Buy It? Mmmm.... I'd say it's on the "yes" side of maybe. I think I'll have to see it again to decide if there's enough in there to warrant watching over and over, but it was certainly fun enough to make me seriously consider it.