XXX

James Bond can rest easy. Vin Diesel cements his action-star status as “a new breed of secret agent”, but, in every other respect, this junk Bond from director Rob Cohen is just pure, turbo-driven exploitation — dumb, fun and full of elaborate computer-generated stunts. Diesel plays extreme-sports hero Xander Cage, coerced by US government agent Samuel L Jackson into infiltrating the Prague-based “Anarchy 99” terrorist organisation. Bond parallels abound: Jackson is a scarred clone of M; Marton Csokas the Blofeld-style megalomaniac; Michael Roof a gadget-guru in the Q mould; and Italian sensation Asia Argento is “the girl”, with little to do but switch romantic allegiance from villain to hero. Diesel doesn't have Pierce Brosnan's deft control of a one-liner and overall the film lacks wit — as well as consistent plotting — but the stunts are overblown and outrageous enough to produce sheer adrenalin-pumping excitement.

Not so much a movie as a probably successful attempt to create a new franchise to rival James Bond, substituting a thuggish hero in keeping with the times but otherwise adhering to the same formula of beautiful, disposable women, mad scientists and specta