In 2002, Vin Diesel was riding high after the success of The Fast and the Furious. Then he made xXx, a James Bond-esque action thriller with an extreme twist. In 2005, he was MIA for the sequel and the role went to Ice Cube in a highly forgettable performance. Now, 12 years later Diesel returns to form in this ridiculous, absurd, preposterous, three-quel. Does that sound like I’m complaining? No. I’m smirking with admiration.
Diesel is once again back as Xander Cage still doing his extreme stunts halfway around the world in Brazil and living a life of seclusion away from the world of international espionage. He’s called back into action when his old agent friend Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson) needs him and his new cohort (Toni Collette).
His mission is stopping a group of powerful criminals who have a deadly weapon in their possession named Pandora’s Box. The leader of the group (Donnie Yen) is capable of martial arts that would make Jackie Chan green with envy. Xander recruits a series of like-minded extreme enthusiasts and it becomes a worldwide chase.
As per usual with a xXx, we get a lot of wall-to-wall action including that opening Brazil sequence in which Xander skates down from the top of a tall tower and does insane maneuvering all to help to locals get some satellite power so they can watch the latest soccer match. It’s really goofy fun to watch.
The action sequences are explosively outrageous and the one-liners are best suited to make up Diesel’s dialogue which is really all his character needs. There is one hugely unexpected surprise and it does hint at more adventures for xXx and company in the future.
It’s loud and overblown, but you know what? Unlike a lot of other action films, it acknowledges what it is and doesn’t try to be anything else.
Grade: B+
(Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of gunplay and violent action, and for sexual material and language.)
