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

Total Recall: Vin Diesel's Best-Reviewed Movies

by Jeff Giles | April 02, 2009

Summary

With the release of Fast & Furious this Friday, Vin Diesel joins the elite ranks of actors who have starred in franchises that have spun off more than two sequels. Now that Vin is rubbing shoulders with such lucky thesps as Robert Englund, Bill Shatner, and Kane Hodder, we thought this week would be the perfect time to devote an installment of Total Recall to the Diesel filmography, and recount the critical high points of a journey that's taken him from bit player to $100 million-grossing star and multi-hyphenate media mogul. Get ready for plenty of action, folks -- it's Vin Diesel time! Back to Article

(1-62 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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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...

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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

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ledawg1138 writes:
on Apr 02 2009 03:25 PM

"The Iron Giant" is excellent. See it ASAP

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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

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

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mscodpiece writes:
on Apr 02 2009 04:26 PM

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

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oddjob323 writes:
on Apr 02 2009 04:33 PM

Vin Diesel, ftl. Jason Statham, ftw.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Marcus F. writes:
on Apr 02 2009 05:05 PM

I will watch anything Vin Diesel makes. It's always a good time; no matter how bad the movie is.

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Quadzilla99 writes:
on Apr 02 2009 05:17 PM

What embarrassing amateurism! Boiler Room has a fresh rating and yet the writer of this article states "with just a few more reviews from writers like the New York Times' A.O. Scott -- who said it "reflects the sensibility of the generation it holds up to critical scrutiny, and it's a cunningly ambiguous act of self-portraiture" -- Boiler Room would have a nice fresh tomato next to its title.".

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jaysix writes:
on Apr 02 2009 05:40 PM

Chronicles of Riddick is the sh*t. I don't give a ***** what some faggy critics say.

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McChipmunk writes:
on Apr 02 2009 05:52 PM

he's damn fascinating in find me guilty i'm surprised that it's not fresh. the guy can act if given the right role, he's just rarely assigned one

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dlo2012 writes:
on Apr 02 2009 06:13 PM

i remember watching iron giant as a kid
i loved that movie
almost made me cry every time

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overthehead writes:
on Apr 02 2009 07:34 PM

"Multi-facial" was what got screened at Cannes and lead to Private Ryan, not Strays.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-Facial

Now give me five million dollars and a cheese sandwhich. Well, actually, don't give me anything.

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SillySausage69 writes:
on Apr 02 2009 09:00 PM

Only three fresh films? Damn. I haven't seen Boiler Room, but Saving Private Ryan and The Iron Giant are definitely great movies, as small as Vin Diesel's roles in them may be.

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Tyrant writes:
on Apr 02 2009 09:10 PM

Honestly I'm indifferent to his acting career, I've enjoyed some, but loathed others. I think the guy could be really good if he gets cast in a decent action movie, so best of luck to him.

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Hamboner writes:
on Apr 02 2009 09:17 PM

This guy is a chump. He can only play one character, and he'll never be able to disappear into a role. He is too hulking and bald. You'd think "Oh, that's Vin Diesel playing Othello," or "Yeah, that's Vin Diesel playing a cowboy" or "yeah, it's Vin Diesel playing a drag queen."

He seems like a nice enough guy, but he does nothing for me. Maybe he should play the Rhino in the next Spider-Man movie.

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Castle91 writes:
on Apr 02 2009 09:27 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.

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ledawg1138 writes:
on Apr 02 2009 09:57 PM

In reply to this comment (#2408422)
Vin Diesel playing a drag queen...hmmm. Not bad.

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ryboto writes:
on Apr 03 2009 07:43 AM

I wish I hadn't been so quick to judge Riddick, I really enjoyed Pitch Black, so I wanted to see another horror/suspense type action, so, when it released, I took a pass. Saw it on TNT, or some other station, and I was curious. Finally got to see all of it, now I own it, and it's one of my favorites. There's something about the way the story is told, and that a brute could have such an important role, I don't know exactly what it is exactly, but it makes for great sci-fi action, and I really hope they get a decent budget for the few more he and Twohy want to make.

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tfortier writes:
on Apr 03 2009 07:59 AM

Pitch black was ok, the film had a good ambience and was different from other sci-fi flicks. Give the guy a good director and im sure he can shine.

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Vincent C. writes:
on Apr 03 2009 09:43 AM

He's overall a good actor I think the pacifier was a dumb move though. overall killing any respect most people had for him.

But on a side note he was great in pitch black and chronicles that's where I believe he shoudl stay, in those movies not off helping children

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oddjob323 writes:
on Apr 03 2009 10:05 AM

In reply to this comment (#2408196)
Diesel sucks. Statham owns.

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collex writes:
on Apr 03 2009 10:30 AM

For me, Vin Diesel is Riddick, period. I haven't even seen XxX and The Fast and Furious! So I'm happy with a third one, and I don't care for anything else.

For those 8% that didn't like Saving Private Ryan, I don't agree they deserve a beatdown. Why would they not have the right to not like it? My best friend didn't like it because he felt that the German soldiers were depicted as stupid chimps (to quote him: "They get out of their bunkers and they look at the ground! No real WWII soldier would have ever looked at the ground!"). I didn't notice that, but I can't say his reasons for hating it is not as good as mine for liking it.

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Jeff B. writes:
on Apr 03 2009 02:14 PM

This countdown is a friggin joke. It's pretty pathetic when 70% of your best movies suck. Saving Private Ryan is a nice watch, but it's overrated. The frame story was pointless, and the Upham character's finally overcoming his cowardice in the end is trite. The fight scenes are great, but the whole concept of pulling a soldier out of a war because his three brothers died is ludicrous.

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King Thor writes:
on Apr 03 2009 02:39 PM

In reply to this comment (#2408898)
Was your friend in WWII? I believe I saw a statistic onetime that stated that a large portion of soldiers actually never even fired their weapon because they were so scared. But who knows if that is true or not.

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DarkShines2063 writes:
on Apr 03 2009 09:36 PM

why didnt they mention babylon A.D?.that movie was hailed as a classic by alot of critics.

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Vincent Rolandelli writes:
on Apr 04 2009 12:18 AM

Yes bad actors make bad movies. And Vin diesel is that man, Except for Saving Private Ryan.

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ben a. writes:
on Apr 04 2009 03:01 AM

i just want to know if the rumors that he is gay are true. i like his stage presence, but the only movie i've seen with him is 'the iron giant,' one of my all-time favorites. even 'boiler room,' which people with good taste pumped up to me, was mediocre at best. you want a good giovanni ribisi (sp?) performance? yeah, he's an over-actor, but 'the gift' is one of the most underrated movies on this site. and he's freaking phenomenal.

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collex writes:
on Apr 04 2009 07:53 AM

In reply to this comment (#2409356)
Oh no, He's older than me, but not that old (lol).
I'm not saying I agree with him, and your statistic might be true. But he didn't like how the Germans was portrayed as stupid versus the allmighty Americans. But like I said, it's his opinion, and while I think it's a respectable one, I don,t necessarily share it.

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StefansZ writes:
on Apr 04 2009 08:11 AM

I absolutely loved Find Me Guilty. That really made me realize he's a great actor who doesn't always star in the best films.

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Eric S. writes:
on Apr 04 2009 10:58 AM

Yes alright Vin has made some bad movies, but I like some of his films and he's a really cool guy and makes kick *** video games. The Fast and The Furious and xXx and Chronicles of Riddick are brain dead, but entertaining films. Saving Private Ryan and Iron Giant are classics. Strays is also a very good film. I think if he just makes some better movies he will get a lot more respect. The new Fast and Furious was also highly entertaining.

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mrcynister writes:
on Apr 04 2009 01:40 PM

The "Chronicles of Riddick" and "fast and furious", are by far his best...IMHO

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mrcynister writes:
on Apr 04 2009 01:41 PM

Oh, and Pitch Black too.....:)

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greg b. writes:
on Apr 04 2009 02:33 PM

I really enjoyed Riddick, not as much as pitch black, but I liked it. I'm looking forward to the third movie. Haven't really liked anything else he's been in. XxX was crap. My problem with Saving Private Ryan is that after the Normandy Beach part it becomes an average movie with a tacked on ending. I thought it was boorishly stupid and unnecessary to kill off everyone (except 1) who went to find him, just to create an emotionally impacting ending, and to Ryan's character motivation to do something important with his like....it felt like a tacked on ending that really wasn't justified. I just thought the ending was cliched, hack writing.

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greg b. writes:
on Apr 04 2009 02:34 PM

I really enjoyed Riddick, not as much as pitch black, but I liked it. I'm looking forward to the third movie. Haven't really liked anything else he's been in. XxX was crap. My problem with Saving Private Ryan is that after the Normandy Beach part it becomes an average movie with a tacked on ending. I thought it was boorishly stupid and unnecessary to kill off everyone (except 1) who went to find him, just to create an emotionally impacting ending, and to Ryan's character motivation to do something important with his like....it felt like a tacked on ending that really wasn't justified. I just thought the ending was cliched, hack writing.

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KingSigy writes:
on Apr 04 2009 07:56 PM

You know you're a bad actor when your 10th highest rated film is a 20%. God do I hate Vin. Love the Iron Giant, though.

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Speaker for the Films writes:
on Apr 05 2009 12:43 PM

In reply to this comment (#2407830)
That is the greatest analogy ever...

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dizzel007 writes:
on Apr 05 2009 08:14 PM

Vin Diesel has the look and voice of a good action star. Unfortunately he can't act. It's hard to believe anything he does. He is emotionless. Diesel is usually best in an ensemble cast like Private Ryan or Fast and Furious, when you don't have to rely solely on him to deliver.

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dizzel007 writes:
on Apr 05 2009 08:14 PM

Vin Diesel has the makings of a good action star. Unfortunately he can't act. It's hard to believe anything he does. He is emotionless. Diesel is usually best in an ensemble cast like Private Ryan or Fast and Furious, when you don't have to rely solely on him to deliver.

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idratherbe8587 writes:
on Apr 05 2009 10:59 PM

Does no one else find it funny that these are his BEST movies?! Except for a minor role in Private Ryan and voice work in Iron Giant, this guy sucks!

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13tongimp writes:
on Apr 06 2009 07:32 AM

His acting is as hackish as his fake porn name. He sucks.

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Sammy Dogbro writes:
on Apr 06 2009 01:23 PM

Its funny. Diesels been working with crappy titles and crappy titles only. Though i wouldnt say that he is a crappy actor.

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Writing P. writes:
on Apr 06 2009 02:32 PM

Vin Diesel is like savory sinful dessert. You know you shouldn't eat it but ever so often you need a taste of it. You won't be disappointed because you know what you expect. He reminds me a lot of Sly - who won an Oscar btw for writing Rocky.

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mrcynister writes:
on Apr 06 2009 06:21 PM

And He's starred in a few really good one's ......It's your cup of tea or it isn't.

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mrshock13 writes:
on Apr 06 2009 08:21 PM

In reply to this comment (#2407699)
Yes, you should definitely see "The Iron Giant." One of the saddest endings, while also being poignant; subsequently, brilliantly written, voiced, animated, and one of the most heartfelt pieces of animation that I have seen in many, many years. You should definitely see this film, I highly recommend it.

On a related note, I strongly agree with that statement on that 8% of people who didn't like Saving Private Ryan. When it comes to reviewers and reviews to films like this, even The Dark Knight, to name another, I never really understand what that small group of people are doing reviewing the film poorly. I understand everyone has their own opinion, and I respect that, but reading many of the reviews that are submitted for these films, it seems as though the qualms and complaints are rather manufactured and it appears as though the reviewer is simply making unfounded, unrealistic comments to simply be different and subvert the general opinion of the film and a piece of art.

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Jeremy H. writes:
on Apr 06 2009 10:52 PM

why do people like Vin Diesel? The only movie that i've liked that he's been in was Saving Private Ryan. i've seen most of the others, and he's just not a good actor, and the only reason i liked him in SPR was because i didnt know who he was and he didnt make it very long in the movie.

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Kyle K. writes:
on Apr 07 2009 10:27 AM

His role, although small, was very good in Saving Private Ryan. I think that after that he has had his short comings but over all to Hollywood studios his acting ability means nothing. What does matter is the massive draw that he brings to the theatre and that my friends is undeniable. Just look at last weekend. Instead of people going to see great movies like adventureland, and sin nombre, they went and seen the newest installment of Fast and Furious francise. In today's Hollywood, acting ability is not the number one priority.

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anewhue writes:
on Apr 08 2009 07:07 PM

God, I started bawling after the "superman" line in The Iron Giant. I didn't even know that was Vin Diesel's Voice.

(Reply to this)

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