Summary
Overview
Paul, June, and Rob Huebel dissect the 2002 action film Triple X starring Vin Diesel as extreme sports star Xander Cage, who is recruited by the NSA to infiltrate a Russian terrorist group called Anarchy 99. They explore the film's bizarre premise, questionable logic, excessive runtime, and Vin Diesel's transformation from extreme athlete to spy, complete with gadgets, terrible kissing scenes, and a legendary fur coat.
Opening and Xander Cage's Introduction
The hosts introduce Triple X as a film that asks 'what if James Bond was a dickhead?' They discuss Xander Cage's opening stunt where he steals a state senator's car and drives it off a bridge, questioning why this extreme sports star cares so much about skateboarding legislation. The film establishes Xander as someone good at every extreme sport imaginable, though he comes across as extremely abrasive rather than cool. His relationship with Eve, who runs some kind of underground video distribution service, remains confusing throughout.
- The movie is over two hours long and spawned three films, with Vin Diesel in the first and third
- Xander steals a state senator's car who's running on an anti-skateboarding platform, which feels like an outdated 90s concern
- The cameras rigged to the car are absurdly large and positioned to film Xander narrating rather than the actual stunt
- Eve runs an underground video platform, possibly like a pre-YouTube DVD distribution service
" When you need to kill a snake in a snake pit, you better drop in a mouse. "
" This movie answers the question, what if James Bond was a dickhead? "
The NSA Recruitment and Testing Process
Samuel L. Jackson's NSA recruits Xander through an elaborate series of tests that make little sense. They build a fake diner just to test him, risk serious injury to their own agents, and fly candidates to Colombia to see if they'll steal cocaine. The tests have nothing to do with extreme sports—Jackson is actually looking for violent criminals who can be 'programmed,' not extreme athletes. One audience member reveals detailed dossiers of the other candidates, showing they include a heroin dealer, a coward, and someone who 'hates to spend money.'
- The NSA constructs an elaborate fake diner where Xander bashes a guy's face into a coffee pot, causing real injury for no reason
- They fly candidates to Colombia where two immediately try to steal bags of cocaine leaves
- Samuel L. Jackson's plan was never about extreme sports—he wanted programmable criminals
- Xander is tortured by Danny Trejo but does stand-up comedy instead of breaking
" About five minutes into the movie, I was like, oh, Xander's an extreme sports addict. "
" Nobody looks cool parachuting. Honestly, unless you're like liberating Europe from the Nazis. "
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