Vin Diesel Turns 50, 'An Icon In The Movie Industry':
I don't have friends, I have ... birthdays.
Famours "Fast and Furious" actor Vin Diesel turns 50 this week. Diesel is fresh off appearances in "The Fate of the Furious," the eighth film in the "Fast" franchise, and "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2," where he voices the lovable and temperamental tree, Groot.
Diesel's acting career has spanned three decades, and he's been in a whopping four franchises. Fans of his acting can always count on a Diesel appearance in another "Riddick" installment, or as Xander Cage or, of course, Dominic Toretto.
With an unmistakably deep voice and tough-guy persona, Diesel is admittedly private off-stopcamera, but his work has become showcased in fun genre-film performances. And there seems to be no signs of slowing for the actor.
Let's take a look at the best and worst of Diesel's filmography as his birthday celebration continues.
The Best
"Fast and the Furious" (2001)
The original "Fast and the Furious" movie — at the time pretty groundbreaking in terms of its precision — featured most of the franchise's prominent characters, including Diesel as Dom Toretto, Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner, Michelle Rodriguez as Letty Ortiz and Jordana Brewster as Mia Toretto.
The film holds a 74% Rotten Tomatoes score among audiences, but the best facets of the Rob Cohen-helmed film are Dom's trial period, as audiences get to know him and the ensemble's chemistry. Also, there are some pretty significant tonal differences between "The Fast and the Furious" and "The Fate of the Furious" ("F8").
Pitch Black" (2000)
Riddick
This film, from 2000, is the first time Diesel fans got to meet Richard B. Riddick, a former mercenary, soldier and pilot. Riddick, also a killer, has surgically enhanced eyes that allow him to see in darkness. As it turns out, he's being transported to prison in a spacecraft. But when it's hit by comet debris, his craft soars out of control and lands on a desert planet. Of course Riddick escapes.
And certainly, the antihero's journey can't end there! It's soon discovered that aliens are preying on the wreck's survivors. So Riddick circles back to help his fellow passengers overcome the threat.
The film grossed more than $53 million — on a budget less than half that — and became a cult classic, spurring two additional movies (2004's "The Chronicles of Riddick" and 2013's "Riddick").
The film holds a mediocre 57% among critics but 77% among audience members, meaning there was something memorable about the barren, celestial landscape and Diesel's neat character.
"Saving Private Ryan" (1998)
It's hard to place this film on the list, considering Steven Spielberg's movie really belongs to its prominently featured players, like Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Matt Damon and Jeremy Davies.
However, Private First Class Adrian Caparzo (Diesel) was, in fact, a part of the film, although his character's life is tragically cut short by an enemy sniper.
Caparzo is struck in the open and left bleeding, and the remaining soldiers of his squadron cannot reach him. Caparzo was in the process of trying to save a young civilian, and dies holding out a letter to his father.
To this day, there is something so poignant about Spielberg's film. So, inclusion here is a must.
The Worst
"The Pacifier" (2005)
There's not much to say here about the family comedy other than it deserves the 20% score it received on Rotten Tomatoes.
In the film, Diesel plays Lieutenant Shane Wolfe, a U.S. Navy SEAL "assigned" to a baby-sitting gig. His new assignment leaves him watching the kids and fighting villains behind an assassination.
The Adam Shankman film performed well at the box office, earning $200 million on a $56 million budget. But the Rotten Tomatoes consensus says it all: it's "only moderately amusing."
"The Last Witch Hunter" (2015)
This Breck Eisner film stars Diesel as the widowed knight Kaulder, cursed with eternal life — and left to fend off remaining witches.
Almost everything about this film screams: "Why? Just, why?" Panned by critics, the movie has a 16% score on Rotten Tomatoes among critics. The consensus calls the movie "grim, plodding, and an overall ill fit for Vin Diesel's particular charms."
"Witch Hunter" failed to perform at the box office, too, earning $146.9 million off a $90 million budget. Surprisingly, the movie also features "Lord of the Rings" star Elijah Wood and icon Michael Caine.
"A Man Apart" (2003)
Again, the chorus is singing: "Why, just why?"
In "A Man Apart," Diesel plays former criminal and DEA Agent Sean Vetter, who seeks revenge after his wife is killed in a cartel hit. The film also features Timothy Olyphant as "Hollywood" Jack Slayton.
Unsurprisingly, the trite, formulaic plot was also derided by critics. It earned a score of just 11%. (Conversely, 62% of audience members approved!)
The consensus for the F. Gary Gray movie simply calls it "clichéd." And that's a good assessment.
So, of course Diesel has made his share of subpar films, for he's only human. On the other hand, he's also been featured in fun, stylish projects that will continue to mesmerize movie fans for years to come. And here's to hoping he has more lined up!
I don't have friends, I have ... birthdays.
Famours "Fast and Furious" actor Vin Diesel turns 50 this week. Diesel is fresh off appearances in "The Fate of the Furious," the eighth film in the "Fast" franchise, and "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2," where he voices the lovable and temperamental tree, Groot.
Diesel's acting career has spanned three decades, and he's been in a whopping four franchises. Fans of his acting can always count on a Diesel appearance in another "Riddick" installment, or as Xander Cage or, of course, Dominic Toretto.
With an unmistakably deep voice and tough-guy persona, Diesel is admittedly private off-stopcamera, but his work has become showcased in fun genre-film performances. And there seems to be no signs of slowing for the actor.
Let's take a look at the best and worst of Diesel's filmography as his birthday celebration continues.
The Best
"Fast and the Furious" (2001)
The original "Fast and the Furious" movie — at the time pretty groundbreaking in terms of its precision — featured most of the franchise's prominent characters, including Diesel as Dom Toretto, Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner, Michelle Rodriguez as Letty Ortiz and Jordana Brewster as Mia Toretto.
The film holds a 74% Rotten Tomatoes score among audiences, but the best facets of the Rob Cohen-helmed film are Dom's trial period, as audiences get to know him and the ensemble's chemistry. Also, there are some pretty significant tonal differences between "The Fast and the Furious" and "The Fate of the Furious" ("F8").
Pitch Black" (2000)
Riddick
This film, from 2000, is the first time Diesel fans got to meet Richard B. Riddick, a former mercenary, soldier and pilot. Riddick, also a killer, has surgically enhanced eyes that allow him to see in darkness. As it turns out, he's being transported to prison in a spacecraft. But when it's hit by comet debris, his craft soars out of control and lands on a desert planet. Of course Riddick escapes.
And certainly, the antihero's journey can't end there! It's soon discovered that aliens are preying on the wreck's survivors. So Riddick circles back to help his fellow passengers overcome the threat.
The film grossed more than $53 million — on a budget less than half that — and became a cult classic, spurring two additional movies (2004's "The Chronicles of Riddick" and 2013's "Riddick").
The film holds a mediocre 57% among critics but 77% among audience members, meaning there was something memorable about the barren, celestial landscape and Diesel's neat character.
"Saving Private Ryan" (1998)
It's hard to place this film on the list, considering Steven Spielberg's movie really belongs to its prominently featured players, like Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Matt Damon and Jeremy Davies.
However, Private First Class Adrian Caparzo (Diesel) was, in fact, a part of the film, although his character's life is tragically cut short by an enemy sniper.
Caparzo is struck in the open and left bleeding, and the remaining soldiers of his squadron cannot reach him. Caparzo was in the process of trying to save a young civilian, and dies holding out a letter to his father.
To this day, there is something so poignant about Spielberg's film. So, inclusion here is a must.
The Worst
"The Pacifier" (2005)
There's not much to say here about the family comedy other than it deserves the 20% score it received on Rotten Tomatoes.
In the film, Diesel plays Lieutenant Shane Wolfe, a U.S. Navy SEAL "assigned" to a baby-sitting gig. His new assignment leaves him watching the kids and fighting villains behind an assassination.
The Adam Shankman film performed well at the box office, earning $200 million on a $56 million budget. But the Rotten Tomatoes consensus says it all: it's "only moderately amusing."
"The Last Witch Hunter" (2015)
This Breck Eisner film stars Diesel as the widowed knight Kaulder, cursed with eternal life — and left to fend off remaining witches.
Almost everything about this film screams: "Why? Just, why?" Panned by critics, the movie has a 16% score on Rotten Tomatoes among critics. The consensus calls the movie "grim, plodding, and an overall ill fit for Vin Diesel's particular charms."
"Witch Hunter" failed to perform at the box office, too, earning $146.9 million off a $90 million budget. Surprisingly, the movie also features "Lord of the Rings" star Elijah Wood and icon Michael Caine.
"A Man Apart" (2003)
Again, the chorus is singing: "Why, just why?"
In "A Man Apart," Diesel plays former criminal and DEA Agent Sean Vetter, who seeks revenge after his wife is killed in a cartel hit. The film also features Timothy Olyphant as "Hollywood" Jack Slayton.
Unsurprisingly, the trite, formulaic plot was also derided by critics. It earned a score of just 11%. (Conversely, 62% of audience members approved!)
The consensus for the F. Gary Gray movie simply calls it "clichéd." And that's a good assessment.
So, of course Diesel has made his share of subpar films, for he's only human. On the other hand, he's also been featured in fun, stylish projects that will continue to mesmerize movie fans for years to come. And here's to hoping he has more lined up!
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