The director (Rob Cohen) and star (Vin Diesel) of the previous summers hit The Fast and the Furious (2001) are reunited for this spy thriller billed as a next-generation James Bond adventure. Diesel stars as Xander Cage, a nihilist extreme sports enthusiast nicknamed Triple X because of a large tattoo covering his back and neck. Cages illegal stunts and poor attitude (hes given to spouting dialogue such as, Have you ever been punched in the face for talking too much?) land him in jail, where hes recruited/blackmailed into government service by the National Security Agencys Augustus Gibbons, who likes Cage for his skills and expendability. The new secret agent is assigned to infiltrate a Russian crime ring called Anarchy 99, whose access to biochemical weaponry is making the United States extremely nervous. With the help of some high-tech gadgets from weapons master Toby Lee Shavers (Michael Roof), Cage is able to make his way into Anarchy 99, where he targets the groups leader Yorgi (Marton Csokas) and falls for the organizations second-in-command, Yelena (Asia Argento). XXX (2002) is the first in a hoped-for franchise of sequels for the films producer, Revolution Studios. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide