Nearly two years after principal photography, New Line is releasing "A Man Apart," hoping the movie might benefit from the box office muscle developed by its star, Vin Diesel, in his subsequent production, the extreme actioner "XXX." The film will probably satisfy his action-movie fans, though those unaware of the film's history may wonder why the actor has regressed to such a bare-bones thriller, albeit one with stylish flourishes. "A Man Apart" plays all the usual angles: the nonconformist cop who steps outside the law to avenge his wife's murder; the blurring of the line between the bad and good guys; the drug deals made in topless bars; the climactic chase through the sewers.

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