xXx Return of Xander Cage review: It’s all out action as Vin Diesel returns to the franchise to take it to the next level.
Read our xXx Return of Xander Cage review below.
The original xXx barged its way on to our screens back in 2002 with ambitions to become something of a steroid-pumped antithesis to James Bond. It had a ‘so-hot-right-now’ Vin Diesel as the lead, and his The Fast and the Furious director Rob Cohen at the helm. It made a sizeable splash at the box-office, yet a sequel didn’t seem to quite materialise in the way you imagine anyone expected. Both Cohen and Diesel turned their backs, leading to a rather humourless sequel in the form of the Ice Cube starring The Next Level. Now, a whopping 15 years since he first had three X’s painted on to the back of his neck, Vin returns to his would-be tent-pole franchise, intent on making a bang. And it sure is big, loud, dumb, and unapologetic-ally fun.
Xander Cage (Diesel), extreme athlete turned government operative, presumed dead for years, has been happily living in self-imposed exile, staying off the radar as best he can. When the latest triple X unit turns rogue and steals a device capable of crashing any satellite of the holder’s choosing, Cage is called back into the fray to track down the device and put a stop to any world-ending carnage by any extreme means necessary.
xXx Return of Xander Cage review
Your enjoyment of Return of Xander Cage will largely depend upon two things. One: your tolerance for a film which offers nothing in the way of sophisticated film-making. And two: whether you ever gave a damn about the franchise in the first place. This is a product of action cinema that demands very little from you other than to try and have a laugh, even if it is at the films expense. This is self-aware trash, so best open a beer.
The plot follows the familiar patterns of hero seeking McGuffin. What makes this instalment that bit more interesting is its interest in developing a team dynamic, with Diesel (who also serves as a producer this time around) keen to establish a similar group relationship to that of the Fast and the Furious boasts. It allows the film to have a wonderfully diverse cast with a brilliant international representation, with Bollywood super-star Deepika Padukone, Chinese rapper Kris Wi and both the awesome Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa playing significant roles in a cast that should appeal to the four corners of the globe.
xXx Return of Xander Cage review
Where the film strangely both falters and flies is in its action sequences. The design of some of the sequences simply need to be seen to be believed. Within the first 20 minutes alone we witness Neymar Jr. foil an attempted robbery, moving to witness Vin make a quick escape via skis in a jungle and a skateboard down a steep and winding road. Further down the road there is a game of hot potato with hand grenades and surfing whilst riding motorbikes. However, what lets a lot of these sequences down is an over-reliance on some terrible CGI and some truly amateur editing.
Yet, there is something that remains infectiously fun during these sequences, even when they are executed poorly. The film is so tongue-in-cheek, so adamant to not take anything too seriously that you can’t help but have a wide grin on your face as the down-right outrageous action scenes fly across the screen. The final act itself, when the triple-X units join together, is actually quite successful in rousing the spirit and delivering engaging gun-play and slick hand-to-hand combat, all the while celebrating its diverse cast.
You will know from the very opening if this is the kind of film for you. This is something of a throwback to the type of ridiculous action flicks that birthed the original xXx back in the late 90’s/early noughties. You will hear as many people groan as you will people cheer, and either is a justifiable reaction. The return of Xander Cage is maybe not something anyone particularly expected to see in 2017, but if you are willing to buy in to its brand of trashiness, you should rather enjoy feeling like it’s 2002 again.
xXx Return of Xander Cage review, Andrew Gaudion, January 2017.
xXx Return of Xander Cage is released in UK cinemas on Thursday 19th January 2017.
