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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90%

2. Saving Private Ryan

Movies like xXx and The Pacifier make it easy to forget this, but Vin Diesel has always been more than your average action star; in fact, he wrote, produced, directed, and starred in his film debut, 1995's Strays -- and managed to have it screened at Cannes, where it attracted the attention of Steven Spielberg, who was inspired to create the role of PFC Adrian Caparzo in Saving Private Ryan specifically for Diesel. And while it wasn't the film's biggest role -- in fact, Diesel's character is the first member of the squad to be killed -- it still gave him a nice leg up from one of the biggest directors in the business, and allowed him to be a part of what James Berardinelli of ReelViews called "a singular motion picture experience."

97%

1. The Iron Giant

Today, he's animation royalty, but in 1999, Brad Bird was still a relative unknown getting his first big break with a Warner Bros. feature based on Ted Hughes' 1968 children's book, The Iron Man. Commercially speaking, The Iron Giant was a less than auspicious debut -- thanks to what many saw as a misguided promotional campaign on the studio's part, the movie only managed a pitiful $23 million domestic gross -- but the adventures of young Hogarth Hughes and his imposing metal friend struck a deep chord with critics like the Chicago Tribune's Mark Caro, who wrote that "animated films excel in conjuring up colorful fantasy worlds, but few evoke an actual time and place as vividly -- and playfully -- as The Iron Giant does." Diesel, of course, was the voice of the titular giant -- and lest you scoff that lending your voice to an animated robot doesn't require much in the way of actual, you know, acting, we defy you to watch the film's climactic sequence without having your heart torn out by Big Vin's delivery of one simple word: "Superman."

Don't forget to check out out Vin Diesel's complete filmography, and see the rest of our Total Recall archives.

Finally, here's the trailer for Strays, written, directed by, and starring Vin Diesel:

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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)

2. Saving Private Ryan

1. The Iron Giant

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