I just saw the commercial for Babylon AD and I felt strangely interested in it in a “this looks like a mildly intriguing summer action movie with a twist” sort of way. I might put it on my Netflix queue. However, I have this prejudice in my mind that Vin Diesel sucks as an actor and therefore no movie featuring him could be good, like Steven Seagal. Someone once described him as “if Elmer Fudd and Sylvester Stallone had a baby,” and that has colored my view of him.
Then I looked him up and realized that the only movie with him in it I’d ever actually seen was Saving Private Ryan and I don’t even remember him being in it. He’s starring in an upcoming movie about Hannibal of Carthage, if you can imagine.
I think he’s ok.
Outside of Saving Private Ryan, he just hasn’t been in anything that would truly test his abilities, but I feel he held up his own next to the likes of Ribisi, Hanks, and the others (He was the soldier that was shot by the sniper and tried to pass them a note to his father, btw).
He seems competent enough for action movies. I only vaguely remember him from Saving Private Ryan, and I haven’t seen any of his other “serious” roles, but the few shoot-'em-up flicks I’ve seen him in, he’s done well enough for the material.
Apparently he is also directing the Hannibal movie. Also, his real name is Mark Sinclair Vincent. Vin Diesel has to be the most overtly macho name I’ve ever heard, which probably hasn’t helped my opinion of him. Maybe I should give him a chance.
He did some very compelling voice work in The Iron Giant and he made Pitch Black more interesting than it would otherwise have been. However, he doesn’t seem to have a knack for getting cast in very good projects.
Maybe he’s only good in movies costaring someone else from Private Ryan (Barry Pepper in Knockaround Guys)?
Actually, he wasn’t terrible in Find Me Guilty.
Disappointing. Because I kind of like the Riddick character.
Although it must have been tough trying to pick one movie to make a franchise out of from XXX, Fast and the Furious and Pitch Black.
I just saw the preview for his newest film coming out.
Compared to Vin Diesel, Christian Bale in The Dark Knight sounds like a little girl.
What is it with this super-stupid-macho-man-growl-roar that seems to be popular again? I thought Sylvester Stallone single-handedly killed that phony studly voice ages ago.
Do people really think it is sexy to talk like your testicles are stuffed in the back of your boots?
Vin Diesel had the right kind of charisma for Riddick in Pitch Black.
And I the woman who runs the video store near me, and who has very discriminating tastes and insanely detailed film history knowledge, found his performance in something “unexpectedly good”. Sadly, I don’t remember the flick she’s referring to, although it might have been Find Me Guilty. I remember her saying it wasn’t your standard Vin Diesel action schtick. So, she’s of the opinion that his macho persona is really limiting his career and that he may actually have decent acting chops that we’ll never really get to see.
I haven’t see him in a serious role other than Boiler Room so I can’t support her opinion of him, but I usually trust this woman’s judgement.
Boiler Room, definitely. And even in the resolutely stupid XxX, he had moments of vulnerability that made the role enjoyable. “Hey, I’m a really good dancer!”
He was actually quite good in it. He wasn’t spectacular but he showed he certainly has some range as an actor. It’s a good flick. Folks should check it out before dismissing Diesel.
I find xXx (and yes, I’ll capitalize it that way, it tickles me) to be a really entertaining action flick, especially when Diesel gets to act smart. Chronicles of Riddick was pretty good too, although I haven’t seen Pitch Black or any of his other movies. I get the impression Vin Diesel is much, much smarter than he looks or sounds, even if his acting skills aren’t amazing.
“Vin Diesel” was an alias he used while working as a nightclub bouncer. Most bouncers use phony names, and they’re sort of expected to use macho sounding names in that job.
In interviews, he comes across more as a likable, goofy nerd than as a tough guy.