If your Wednesday night plans are up in the air, they’ve just been sorted with this movie marathon appearing on TV tonight – showcasing two major action films back-to-back, featuring A-list actor Vin Diesel.

The 2022 American action film xXx is set to appear on TV tonight, with Diesel as a thrill-seeking extreme sports lover turned spy for the National Security Agency. His character Xander Cage is at the centre of the story, which carries into the sequel xXx – The Next Level, with Ice Cube replacing him as the lead star, also airing on TV screens tonight.

Viewers watch as Cage is sent on a dangerous mission to Central Europe to attempt to infiltrate a potential group of alleged Russian terrorists. Starring alongside him is the Hollywood legend Samuel L. Jackson, as well as Asia Argento and Marton Csokas.

A fan of the film took to Rotten Tomatoes to say: “Although xXx really doesn’t have anything of its own. The movie is quite solid and a fun watch. Forget your troubles in the world for the next 2 hours and just drop some popcorn and grab some snacks because this movie will leave you wanting more.”

Meanwhile, another praised the film by saying: “xXx is definitely a movie if you’re wanting action and seeing a bunch of Vin Diesel. It definitely has a thrilling storyline to it and some interesting plot twists that I didn’t expect. Definitely, I think it’s one of Vin Diesel’s better roles in a movie outside of The Pacifier, which is also another good movie of his, so if you like Vin Diesel, this is a great flick to watch.”

While the film was a box office success at the time of its release in the 2000s, so much so that it went on to launch a further two films, it has its fair share of critics. Reviewing the second film in the Triple X series, xXx: State of the Union, also known as xXx: The Next Level, someone wrote: “This is not a good movie by any standards and features cheesier dialogue and more over-the-top action sequences than the original, which at least creates some mindless fun.”

xXx: State of the Union switches things up; with Vin Diesel dropping out of the film last minute, it sees American rapper Ice Cube take the reins as the new Triple X agent. Some viewers dubbed this sequel “the best of the trilogy”, while others felt it struggled to live up to its predecessor. 

A review for the original film claims: “Wanna see an agent kick some ass and look dope while doing it? This is hands down one of the coolest movies I’ve ever seen. The stunts are crazy.

“It has twists. The pace of the movie is just perfect. Non-stop adrenaline heart-stomping action and thrilling from start to finish. Welcome to the XANDER ZONE!!!!”

Both films are set to appear on Film4 tonight, one after the other, with the original XxX film airing at 10:45pm. If you’re locked in and not quite ready to leave the sofa, a late-night watch means you can also catch the sequel on the same channel at 1:15am.