xXx, then. A better Bond for the noughties, or simply a retread in a flashy new pair of Burton boots? Box-office returns have kept ol' 007 on top, that's for sure, but you can't deny that extreme-sports CIA goon Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) gave him a frantic jog for his money.

Okay, so the plot's a Thunderball xerox, Xander having to wrestle a weapon of mass destruction from the enemy's grip, and the action-packed structure is starkly conventional. But at least the extreme-sports spin blasts a cool gust of fresh air through the formula - after all, the snowboarding avalanche scene topped anything in Die Another Day. And Mr Vin continues to impress as a 21st-century action star, even if the script deals him some pretty shoddy zingers. "Don't be a dick, Dick," indeed.

DVD Extras:

Despite director Rob Cohen's professed desire to "take the experience of DVD further," the xXxtras on offer here are ho-hummingly standard. The Filmmaker's Diary is too compact and sanitised to be of any real interest, being all David Brent-stylee winks at the camera, thumbs-up over-enthusiasm and luvvy crew-praising, while three dry featurettes add little. Hardly surprising considering one focuses on the vehicles, another on the production design and the third... Well, let's just say it should be titled Why Vin Diesel Is The Most Brilliantest Person Ever. But Cohen redeems himself somewhat in his commentaries (both for the main feature and deleted scenes), offering a level of honesty and anecdotal infotainment lacking elsewhere. At one point, for example, the director admits he wanted to shoot a scene containing some lovely nudie ladies in case xXx ended up with an R rating - - the way Cohen sees it, if a movie's an R, then he might as well shove some flesh in...