ROTTEN TOMATOES: Total Recall: Vin Diesel's Best-Reviewed Movies

Total Recall: Vin Diesel's Best-Reviewed Movies

by Jeff Giles

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48%

7. xXx

By the early Naughts, the good old-fashioned action flick had taken a bit of a box-office tumble -- due partly to endlessly recycled high-concept storylines, but also to the glaring lack of a star with enough comedic chops and raw physicality to take the rock 'em, sock 'em mantle from Sly, Arnie, and/or Bruce. Early on, it seemed like Vin Diesel might be that star, which is what led Columbia and Revolution to promote xXx with wishful, hyperbolic comparisons to the Bond franchise -- and promises to reinvent said franchise for a new generation. In the end, positioning Diesel as a hipper, younger 007 only made it that much easier for critics to beat up on the movie. This didn't stop it from rolling over $140 million at the box office, but it kept xXx from a Fresh certification -- and provided writers like Filmcritic's Christopher Null an opportunity to dismiss the would-be Bond killer as "totally idiotic."

53%

6. The Fast and the Furious

"It's the journey, not the destination" may have become a favorite cliche of guidance counselors and New Age enthusiasts, but it's still true -- witness, for example, the raging success of The Fast and the Furious, a film whose utter predictability is redeemed by 102 minutes of sleek visuals and an easy-to-look-at cast that includes Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, and Paul Walker as the undercover cop assigned to infiltrate Diesel's gang of thieving street racers. Not the type of film that needs positive reviews to make money, in other words -- and sure enough, Furious sped to over $200 million in worldwide grosses despite negative-to-lukewarm writeups from critics like Reel Film Reviews' David Nusair, who sniffed that it was "ultimately entertaining enough to warrant a mild recommendation."

56%

5. Pitch Black

Any film that takes place in the 46th century -- and suffers the ignominy of being dumped into theaters in February -- faces a fairly steep uphill battle with critics. Although Pitch Black didn't quite make it over the hump, running out of steam at 57 percent on the Tomatometer, it did far better than most would have guessed -- and it helped make a star out of Vin Diesel, whose turn as the hulking, creepy-eyed escaped convict Richard B. Riddick helped David Twohy's low-budget sci-fi epic transcend its less inspired moments. In the end, Pitch Black became the rare winter feature that ends up spawning a sequel, thanks in part to the begrudging respect of writers like Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum, who praised it as "so jaunty, so limber, and so visually self-assured that art peeks through where crap has traditionally made its home."

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(1-20 of 62 posts) | Reply

Superzone writes:
on Apr 02 2009 08:50 AM

I've never really liked Vin Diesel that much, but he's an OK actor and Saving Private Ryan and The Iron Giant are two of my all time favorite films.

(Reply to this)

CFM writes:
on Apr 02 2009 08:57 AM

He was awesome in Pitch Black, and Pitch Black was awesome.

I've barely heard of The Iron Giant. 97%? I should give that one a look.

Saving Private Ryan got 92%. So that means 8% of people didn't like it? WTF? Someone needs a beat'n.

(Reply to this)

Astro C. writes:
on Apr 02 2009 09:00 AM

I like Diesel.

I think he hasn't yet found his niche though.

He should do more serious action stuff like maybe step into the boots of the next Jack Ryan film?

(Reply to this)

JUDGE DREDD writes:
on Apr 02 2009 10:12 AM

In reply to this comment (#2407699)
Iron Giant is a great little film. And I agree, the 8% of people that didnt like Private Ryan surely do deserve a beatdown.

Vin Diesel, is one of those actors that is kinda disliked in general like Nic Cage, and Stratham, but when you end up seeing the movie he's in, it generally entertains you at the time of watching. But not enough to recomend to others. IMO.

He was ok in XXX but the silly motorbike stunt ruined that film. I think Riddick was good, and pitch black. Not too sure about The Pacifier though, i never saw that film. lol

He does however have an onscreen presence. And i think he has yet to have a role that is made for him.

(Reply to this)

JojoTR writes:
on Apr 02 2009 10:19 AM

I'm sure that 8% also kept Ryan from winning best picture.

Brad Bird is Disney's awesome cousin. He stops by, helps you get the girl and is gone only to return sometime later to help you get a better girl. He can turn anyone into a true artist.

(Reply to this)

willpower writes:
on Apr 02 2009 12:16 PM

I gotta admit I like the guy. He has an undeniable screen presence and a sorta macho yet likeable vibe to him. Chronicles is way underrated and I am looking forward to another installment from the Riddock universe.

(Reply to this)

cypress550 writes:
on Apr 02 2009 02:09 PM

the iron giant was good and of course saving private ryan was an awesome movie. i also liked pitch black and riddick. boiler room was a decent movie.

(Reply to this)

Accursed A. writes:
on Apr 02 2009 02:31 PM

I liked The Fast and the Furious, Pitch Black, Iron Giant, xXx, and Boiler Room among his starring vehicles(SPR is not a headliner for him, so I'm not counting it).

Indifferent about The Pacifier, A Man Apart, Find Me Guilty and Knockaround Guys.

Hated Babylon AD and Chronicles of Riddick.

So he's 5/11(45%) with me...

(Reply to this)

rickxcx writes:
on Apr 02 2009 02:49 PM

c�mon, mr. diesel is awesome, yes he has done a lot of bad movies, but in the end he�s a great guy, and he gave us butcher bay

(Reply to this)

ledawg1138 writes:
on Apr 02 2009 03:25 PM

"The Iron Giant" is excellent. See it ASAP

(Reply to this)

Zengine writes:
on Apr 02 2009 03:33 PM

I love Vin, but I won't watch most of the crap he puts out. He needs to be a part of some better movies.

(Reply to this)

FinalDestination019 writes:
on Apr 02 2009 03:35 PM

He has made some pretty bad movies, but he is actually a good actor when the movie is good. He was excellent in SPR, even though he was the least prominent of the 8 men, and I think The Iron Giant is one of the most underrated animated films ever.

(Reply to this)

Castle91 writes:
on Apr 02 2009 03:37 PM

I like Pitch Black. Iron Giant is a great classic animated. Accursed is right, he had a minor partial part in Saving Private Ryan. XXX was okay, and Knockaround Guys was the same. Haven't seen Boiler Room or Find Me Guilty. The Pacifier was utterly ridiculous, but not without its (very few) charms. I still need to see The Fast & The Furious 1 & 2. He seems like a great guy, but he just hasn't hit that groove yet. He's too much of a thespian-type to be an action star all the time

(Reply to this)

Sean W. writes:
on Apr 02 2009 03:51 PM

In reply to this comment (#2408114)
I agree with most of what you've said, but I'd had to laugh when you described him as a "thespian-type" actor.
Yes, I think of him acting alongside Kenneth Brannagh and Anthony Hopkins.

(Reply to this)

Jeremy I. writes:
on Apr 02 2009 04:11 PM

You know hes a bad actor when he only has three fresh movies.

(Reply to this)

mscodpiece writes:
on Apr 02 2009 04:26 PM

i loved the Iron Giant! It is his best film to day.

(Reply to this)

oddjob323 writes:
on Apr 02 2009 04:33 PM

Vin Diesel, ftl. Jason Statham, ftw.

(Reply to this)

snickerskicker writes:
on Apr 02 2009 04:51 PM

In reply to this comment (#2408165)
Are you serious? I'm not the biggest fan of either action star, but at least Diesel has had a movie break the 80% range. Statham doesn't know how to say no to a script and ends up making crappy sequels to his already crappy movies, or making crappy movies with Uwe Boll.

(Reply to this)

King Thor writes:
on Apr 02 2009 04:52 PM

I can't believe they showed the Dodge Charger being totalled at the end of the fast and furious trailer!! Made me remember how much I enjoyed that movie though. Pitch Black was good too.

I agree that he hasn't quite found his niche yet, and that he should be in more serious action roles like a Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum type movie or like Saving Private Ryan...you know, and action movie that is actually good.

(Reply to this)

Collin W. writes:
on Apr 02 2009 04:56 PM

I thought this whole segment was a joke at first, an ode to Vin Diesel's fantastic acting career.
But to give him credit he has made some large box office money off these movies....
If you can set aside the fact that he has starred in terrible movies.

(Reply to this)

7. xXx

6. The Fast and the Furious

5. Pitch Black

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