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I actually watched this film when it debuted at the Sacramento Young People's Film Festival back in 2001. It was a sight to see to say the least. The whole audience was confused about why the same person was playing both roles. Nonetheless, they still loved it. It had them in tears laughing.

Watching it some 15+ years later, I can still laugh, but now also see the vision that Stevens had. The narrative may sag at times and the script is a little porous, but what makes a film truly good is its closeness to the filmmaker's vision. The true message of this movie is being an outsider, yet wanting desperately to be accepted by your peers. I don't know many films that can make us laugh and still give us such a deep message portrayed in such an earnest way. Almost as though the filmmaker was going through the same things as the characters in the movie.

Three Eyes Wide Shut is exactly what Stevens intended to make. He went through some rough patches, but what came out was a perfect masterpiece AND a beautiful mess all at the same time.

Has action changed all that much since 2002? Because action in movies has. Back before about 10 years ago, characters were much less jokey, things blew up a lot more, and bad guys had terrible aim.

While dated as can be, xXx is an enjoyable watch. The film's inspiration is questionable, but Vin Diesel plays the title role exactly how you'd expect him to. There is no shortage of platitudinous quips, but he delivers them in a way that makes you forget that the dialogue is terribly written.

Diesel plays Xander Cage, aka Triple X, a criminal stunt man hired by the US government to infiltrate the international mercenary group, Anarchy 99. There's not a whole lot more to it than that, yet the film seems to be able to stretch itself to nearly 120 minutes (132 in the director's cut).

xXx is so 2002 that, at times, you can't differentiate it from a early 2000s Disney Channel Original Movie. It sacrifices practicality for spectacle whenever it gets the chance. But considering its action-based modus operandi, the film still tends to drag at times.

Ultimately xXx does nothing new. At all. The only reason why anyone would watch this film is to experience Vin Diesel's charisma and charm. Because that's really the only unique aspect brought to the otherwise trite premise.

But it's entertaining. Mindless, but entertaining. Despite the hackneyed script, you have to commend the movie for not taking itself too seriously, ultimately not making it a chore to watch. It's actually quite fun and ridiculous in all its glory.

Twizard Rating: 72

Strangely enough Zac Efron was in 3 comedy films in 2016, when the man lacks any sort of comedic conviction whatsoever. It's a good thing he has Adam DeVine to compensate for him in Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates.

The film follows Mike and Dave (DeVine and Efron), brothers who are always screwing up family parties with their wild sensibilities and attempts to snag women. So for their sister's wedding in Hawaii, their parents give them an ultimatum--either they bring nice girls as dates or they don't show up at all.

Right away you think to yourself, "Well they probably have a couple of female friends that are parent approved." Whether or not this would work for the characters' dilemma, this simple solution is never addressed. Mike and Dave jump straight to placing an ad on Craigslist, advertising a free trip to Hawaii, because that's the easiest way to get strange women to go on vacation with you. The unrealistic thought process of the characters not only insults the audience's intelligence, but lets us know that the film is just a means to an end, uninterested in actual logic.

Situations within a ridiculous premise still have to be cohesive to that ridiculous premise. Writers can't just do anything they want just because they've established a impractical scenario.

After placing the ad, the guys get thousands of responses but inexplicably can't find girls who are acceptable enough for their parents' standards. Eventually, a pair of trashy girls (Aubrey Plaza and Anna Kendrick) decide they want a free vacation and put on a nice-girl front so the guys will want to take them.

There are plot holes galore in this setup, but it's also the time in the movie with the best comedy. The rest of the way includes some funny isolated moments, but for the most part it tapers off. Then when it tries to stretch the already-thinning plot, things get weird and unnecessary.

With that said, I laughed more than I probably should have. DeVine has a true knack for comedy, which only serves to outshine his costars, constantly creating a juxtaposition of how poor the rest of them are.

Besides the initial archetypes set for the characters, their personalities are constantly wavering. We're made to like and dislike certain characters on a whim based on what's convenient to the story at any given moment. I do applaud, however, that the film doesn't really waste time trying to create conflict and develop a relationship between the two girls. Whether this was inadvertent or intentional, it works in favor of the overall product.

At one point in the story the film Wedding Crashers is mentioned, which only reminds us of what we could be watching instead.

Twizard Rating: 60