xXx: Return Of Xander Cage

This review may contain spoilers!

This is a film that takes the action genre to a completely ridiculous place and somehow manages to walk away not looking half bad. I would give xXx: Return Of Xander Cage a 7.5/10.

The rating I'm giving for this film surprised me probably just as much as it'll surprise some people reading this; however I think that if you've seen past xXx films and actually see some of the great creative directions this film takes then you'll start to see what I saw in this film. This is a great sequel, drawing off content from the past films seamlessly and developing a narrative that brings Xander Cage right up into the modern day. I really enjoyed that this film subverted what was expected of most action films, that is to say it didn't take itself too seriously and fill itself up with intensive jargon. Instead what we were given was the basic premise that satellites are dropping out of the sky and the person behind that has to be stopped; it does this by introducing one of the most diverse and colourful casts I've seen in an action film. The range of characters and personalities brought to this film is ultimately what sets it apart, finally a film that has characters who can make you grin rather than some dark brooding figure scowling at the baddies and his love interest for an hour and a half. Furthermore the narrative did a good job by pitting xXx operatives against one another, it was the most intriguing plot development a xXx film has ever had. The cinematography was sharp, often you felt like you were in motion alongside the many great chase sequences. The special effects also looked pretty good, with the satellites in particular having a fine sleek edge to them. I loved the stunt work throughout the film, you get some brilliant hand to hand combat sequences as well as cool car chase scenes. Furthermore the soundtrack really suits the vibe of the film; it doesn't take itself too seriously and is primed to make you laugh at certain events, in particular Ice Cube's surprise appearance.

Vin Diesel, who played Xander Cage, is very good at sharing the screen with his cast members and has some really nice chemistry with all of them; it's how much fun Diesel seems to be having in this film that really makes his role so appealing. Donnie Yen, who played Xiang, is interesting as an antagonist and protagonist as he flips sides throughout the film; Yen really throws himself into this performance and makes for quite a match to Diesel's Cage. Ruby Rose, who played Adele Wolff, was going to be a character I loved the minute I saw her sniping lion hunters; she has a cold sassy edge that immediately sets her up as a stand out action hero. Nina Dobrev, who played Becky Clearidge, just hits the ground running as the tech genius/fangirl role; Dobrev is a comic genius throughout the film and I particularly loved watching her character fire a gun for the first time. Samuel L. Jackson, who played Augustus Gibbons, is the parody Nick Fury I never knew I wanted (ironic cause he's parodying himself); Jackson sets the comedic tone at the start of the film and from there you know things are going to be an entertaining ride. Ice Cube, who played Darius Stone, is the perfect cameo role this film could have gone with; the minute Cube's scowling tough guy persona appears the film gets yet another shot of adrenaline before wrapping the final act.

However the best performance came from Deepika Padukone, who played Serena Unger. This is a character who is quite a driven role throughout, her sense of righteousness and duty works well for grounding the plot with a more dramatic character. Padukone delivers an action heroine who is intense, strong and just as tough as any of the men in this film (even tougher I'd argue). She has a good chemistry with Diesel, sparks are bouncing back and forth from the moment these two meet and I think their relationship unfolded in a surprisingly natural way. A great role and performance from Ms Padukone in this film.

This film was a lot of fun but there were also some major glaring plot holes throughout the film, sadly this meant that the film while enjoyable to watch had several instances where you were left questioning the writing. The way characters constantly flipped sides felt very artificial after a point, it meant that the stakes set previously in the features didn't seem as high by the end of the feature. Furthermore having the government suddenly turn around and betray the xXx program just felt cheap, it was a way of creating a final act antagonist who was 'easy' and it felt as if the writer hadn't challenged themselves to either set this plot twist up well or craft a good antagonist who could have left a solid mark upon the film. Finally the film had a cool range of characters but the way we were never really informed who they were in relation to their history with Xander Cage and the xXx program meant that you weren't as invested in them as you were entertained by them.

Kris Wu, who played Nicks, was one of the most irrelevant characters within the main cast; the necessity for a DJ in amongst this line of action heroes was completely lost upon me. Tony Jaa, who played Talon, seemed like some weird caricature martial arts character; he didn't add much to the film beyond his fight scenes and weird sound effects. Rory McCann, who played Tennyson Torch, seems a bit bored in this film and not at all in line with his character; McCann just drawls his lines and they really fall flat. Toni Collette, who played Jane Marke, has absolutely no personality at all in this film; Collette crafts an antagonist we've seen in most action features. Hermione Corfield, who played Ainsley, was this weird seductive role who felt at odds with Diesel's acting range; a character who had no chemistry with Diesel and only serves to remind us that OO7 Diesel is not. Tony Gonzalez, who played Paul Donovan, is a dumb musclebound henchman antagonist; Gonzalez really does little more than act as the butt of Diesel's jokes. Michael Bisping, who played Hawk, is often shuffled into the background throughout this film; he's a fighter but certainly not a character in this film. Al Sapienza, who played the CIA Director, was a weak antagonist to end the second act upon; Sapienza was barely established as a role so it made little to no sense to have him act as a main player in the film. Neymar, who played himself, was a cameo that didn't really work in this film; he really had no acting chops and the idea of a footballer being a xXx agent was laughable even for this film's standards. Ariadna Gutierrez-Arevalo, who played Lola, was really just there for a sex scene character; this role was a disappointing part of the film's start but thankfully it picked up from there.