Nobody will ever accuse Vin Diesel of being a thespian or an academy award-winning actor. He has a particular style that is reminiscent of other action stars before him, such as Charles Bronson or Steven Seagal. And after attempting the transition to comedies and dramas more than a decade ago, he’s embraced the action flick genre. He’s now seemingly set for life with the Fast and Furious franchise, as well as the Marvel universe. So it was surprising that he would return to another franchise he started some fifteen years ago and had apparently died after the second film, in which he didn’t star. Yet, he’s back as the working man’s alternative James Bond in xXx: Return of Xander Cage.
Let’s start off with a refresher course. It’s 2002, George W. Bush was the president, Pierce Brosnan was still James Bond and Vin Diesel had just started to make a name for himself with Fast and the Furious (2001) and Pitch Black (2000). xXx started off with the very symbolic murder of a 007 wannabe in an Eastern Europe club while Rammstein quickly showed us that different times require a different hero. Vin Diesel was an extreme sports star named Xander Cage who is “recruited” to become a new secret agent for these different times. Samuel L. Jackson, before he started appearing in every action film, was Agent Augustus Gibbons, a more aggressive version of M, James Bond’s more British proper boss. xXx offered more fast-paced action with a grittier reality. Ironically, Daniel Craig would end up doing the same thing as the new 007 in Casino Royale (2006).
After Diesel turned down the sequel in 2005, much like he did with 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), the franchise quickly died. So, despite the fact that nobody was asking for a sequel, we’ve now been given xXx: Return of Xander Cage some twelve years later. Our movie starts out with Samuel L. Jackson back as Gibbons trying to woo a new recruit into the xXx program. However, he is quickly dispatched in the opening moments, although his death resonates throughout the plot. A new group of criminals, led by Xiang (Donnie Yen, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), have stolen a new computerized weapon called Pandora’s Box that can bring down satellites. Xiang plans on using it to hold the world hostage, the basic madman who wants to rule the world and get millions of dollars while he’s at it. Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense, Krampus) is Jane Marke, the new agent in charge who finds and reactivates Xander Cage after he was presumed dead. Cage refuses the secret ops team she’s chosen and gathers his own band of merry men and women to bring down the bad guys. And yes, plot twists are present as not all is as it seems.
While all of the aggressive action is present and accounted for, the first thing I noticed was that this movie lacked the charm and smooth style of the original. The opening credits, placed over a satellite, appear clunky and cheaply done. Jackson cashes in for what I’m sure was a nice and easy paycheck. Diesel turns in his usual performance of big guy making wisecracks, which I’ll admit is a guilty pleasure. I don’t expect anything more and Diesel delivers. This film trades in the Eastern Europe locale of the original for a more global approach, yet feels much smaller in comparison. There are several moments in the jungle sequence where the sound stage feel is too present and pulls you out of the moment. We have several requisite martial artists, like Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa, to make the battles seem more epic, shaky action camera included. There are the usual pretty girls but now they get to kick a little more butt. We have the humorous big brute, played by Game of Thrones star Rory McCann, and stunt casting with the NFL’s Tony Gonzalez and soccer star Neymar. And there’s even the not-so-surprising return (thank you spoiler-filled trailers) of Ice Cube as Darius Stone from the second film. So, with all of this, why does the movie seem so empty?
xXx: Return of Xander Cage suffers from being a cliché. In an era full of super heroes and explosion-filled action flicks, it’s getting harder to wow the audience. Despite everything director D.J. Caruso (Disturbia, I Am Number Four) throws at us, it all has a “been there, done that” feel to it. The ultimate villain seems so cliché and the climactic battle lacks the originality of the first film. The soundtrack is much less inspired as there is no Rammstein moment to talk about later. Even a moment at the end of the film comes off more as a parody and less homage to a better film. When you see it, just think Marvel and you’ll know what I’m talking about.
Go into xXx: Return of Xander Cage with low expectations on a rainy Saturday afternoon and you can have a good time. It’s a mindless action flick and popcorn fodder, which isn’t a bad thing. However, it’s unlikely you’ll want to revisit it once you walk out of the theater.
