XXX: The Return of Xander Cage

     XXX: The Return of Xander Cage is directed by D.J. Caruso (Disturbia) and stars Vin Diesel (Furious 7), Donnie Yen (Rogue One), and Deepika Padukone. It tells the story of the return of Xander Cage to the world of international espionage after retiring, to find Pandora’s Box, which has the ability to take down the United States government.

     The first XXX movie holds a special place in my heart because I saw it at the perfect age to enjoy a fun, dumb action movie. By the time I saw the second one, the wit and charm was replaced by meaningless action and Vin Diesel was replaced by Ice Cube (Ride Along), one of the most egregious errors in Hollywood history. But the third movie somehow got made with the return of Vin Diesel, so needless to say I was excited to go into this movie with my brain turned off ready to enjoy a fun action flick.

     And the best part about XXX: The Return of Xander Cage is how over the top the action scenes are. From motorcycling through giant waves to free falling without a parachute, Xander Cage is back in a big way. It’s hard not to get caught up in the explosive action that is non-stop throughout the entire movie. But while I enjoy a good action set piece, I also need a slight sense of realism, which was lost on me when two characters stand stationary in a warehouse with two dozen guys raining bullets down on them, and manage to walk away without a scratch.

     I would say I enjoyed about half the actors’ performances in this movie. Samuel L. Jackson (Snakes on a Plane) is electrifying as always, reprising his role as Augustus Gibbons from the previous two movies. Donnie Yen was another stand out, bringing a great physicality to his character. And while I enjoy the charismatic Vin Diesel, I felt like the script let him down with the some poorly delivered one liners that just did not flow right. And Nina Dobrev (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) as Becky Clearidge, the comic relief in the form of a technology whiz, was cringeworthy in nearly all her scenes and I could not wait for the scene to end just so I did not have to listen to her terrible jokes any more.

While XXX: The Return of Xander Cage was not the usual trash that January produces, it still did not meet the marks of its earliest film. The action set pieces are fun and some actors really brought it, but the script, awkwardness of some of the characters, and how indestructible they all were let this film down in a big way.

When should you see it?
Redbox