xXx

Xander Cage is an extreme-sports thrill seeker who lives for danger and attention, not rules. When a shadowy threat linked to a nihilistic saboteur named Yorgi surfaces, a government operative offers Xander a deal: work as an undercover agent to gather intelligence on the group. He brings his own outlaw style, a few high-tech toys, and a small, uneasy team that includes a savvy informant and a skeptical agency handler. The movie follows his reckless tactics as he sneaks into underground circles, tests loyalties, and tries to stay one step ahead without losing his trademark bravado.

Released in 2002, xXx was directed by Rob Cohen from a Rich Wilkes concept, and it stars Vin Diesel as Xander Cage, Asia Argento as Yelena, Marton Csokas as Yorgi, Samuel L. Jackson as Agent Augustus Gibbons, and Michael Roof as Agent Toby Lee Shavers.

The film was a commercial success, grossing roughly $277 million worldwide, turning a modest studio investment into solid box office returns and helping justify franchise ambitions.

Critical reaction was mixed, reflected in a vote average of 5.981/10 from 4,723 votes. Reviewers tended to praise the stunts, action set pieces, and Diesel's throwback antihero energy, while noting the plot and character development were thin. Themes touch on individualism versus institutional control, the allure of spectacle, and the ethics of using extreme risk as persuasion.

xXx helped shift Vin Diesel from character parts into mainstream action lead territory, and its blend of extreme sports aesthetics with spy-thriller tropes left a recognizable imprint on early 2000s action cinema. Memorable for its high-octane scenes and a brash tone, the movie also spawned follow-ups that returned to the concept of a rule-bending agent who prefers a skateboard to a tuxedo.