There is a part of me that respects Vin Diesel’s commitment to the franchises that have made him an action star. In 2001, The Fast and the Furious brought him his first taste of mainstream success in a lead role (one could argue that Pitch Black in 2000 was the first but it was more of a cult hit rather than all out blockbuster). In 2002, xXx was released and it did respectable business at the box office and was set to become a new franchise for the up and coming star.
For several disputed reasons, whether it was issues over money or wanting to do other things, Diesel didn’t do the sequel to The Fast and the Furious and by the time xXx: State of the Union was released in 2005, he had been replaced with Ice Cube. The decision to accept other work was a bit of a double-edged sword for all parties involved. Diesel had financial success with films like The Pacifier but most of his efforts after turning down the sequels to films that gave him so much box office clout were met with minimal success. On the studio end, Universal Pictures had some success with 2 Fast 2 Furious in 2003 but many believed much was missing from that particular film. Sony took a bit of a loss with xXx: State of the Union after it barely crossed $70 million worldwide.
As we now know, Diesel saw a career resurgence when he began going back to the franchises he abandoned that once made him an action star. His return to the Fast and Furious franchise, and most notably his guidance of it as one of the producers, has turned that into the equivalent of a Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise for Universal and even a film like, Riddick, which saw him coming back to the role he made famous in Pitch Black but lost its way with The Chronicles of Riddick, proved that he could get that franchise back to its roots and give its fans what they really wanted.
Given his success of returning back to what made him a star, it’s no surprise that nearly 15 years after the original, Vin Diesel has returned for xXx: Return of Xander Cage. It makes perfect sense considering that he’s managed to work magic before so why not be able to resurrect a franchise that never really had the chance to get off the ground. While the film is entertaining on some level, it lacks much motivation beyond a purely monetary reason for existing. The Fast and Furious franchise, which probably only continued after Tokyo Drift because the studio saw dollar signs from the concept of bringing the original stars back together, still has more going for it because its emphasis on family makes it function beyond its action motifs. There is heart to that franchise and that’s something that this third installment lacks. It’s good for over the top action and Diesel is at his very best here (full on action charisma at its finest) but the film feels like a parody at times of the films it clearly is inspired by.
After Diesel left the title role, the filmmakers killed his character between installments #1 and #2. At the beginning of Return of Xander Cage, it’s revealed that he faked his death. The murder of his mentor, Augustus Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson), brings Xander out of hiding. He is soon recruited by CIA operative Jane Marke (Toni Collette) to locate a group of supervillains who have stolen “Pandora’s Box,” which has the capability to weaponize satellites. Led by high-kicking Xiang (Donnie Yen) and exotic Serena (Deepika Padukone), these characters exist to provide Xander with effective foils until we discover that Xiang’s group was assembled by Gibbons. This revelation muddles the question of who’s an ally and who’s an adversary.
The film wants to be a little of everything. There is a hint of 007 with a hip spin with a little bit of Jason Bourne and 24 thrown in for good measure. The project doesn’t have their level of sophistication and storytelling so it can only really depends on its action set pieces. The second act is pretty much dominated by over the top action. Xander goes first to the Philippines then to Detroit in search of Pandora’s Box and the terrorist threatening to use it. Director D.J. Caruso has learned his action techniques from various films of this nature. They tend to be outrageous, defy physics and biology, and go on for far too long but they are shot with a kinetic energy that can’t be denied. You go into a film like this expecting a spectacle and it delivers on that front. If there is one thing the action lacks, beyond its eye candy, is suspense. There’s not a single moment in all of xXx: Return of Xander Cage when the film is able to trick us into suspecting the lead character might be in danger. It’s clear he’s not interested in making the audience be on the edge of their seat in a compelling way but there is no harm in the popcorn treats he’s providing us with.
The film would work even better if it didn’t take itself too seriously. It’s clear, despite how over the top it is, that the film wants to be a real action thriller when it could clearly work a bit better as an action comedy. I’m not saying its laughably bad but it could use a bit more humor so that its attempts to be taken seriously didn’t garner laughs that clearly weren’t intentional.
Diesel is charismatic in the role, as he has been in most of these kinds of films. Sure, he’s a bit one-dimensional, but he sells himself completely in roles like these. His supporting players are a mixed bag. Samuel L. Jackson is playing a less interesting version of his Nick Fury character from The Avengers while Toni Collette, who is normally on top of it, has issues being believable as her tough as nails character. Faring much better is Donnie Yen, who makes us wish he had more screen time because he exudes being a bad ass, and Ice Cube in a cameo appearance that actually makes you forgive his involvement in the second film. The film teases a team up effort that could possibly be very entertaining to watch.
Movies like xXx: Return of Xander Cage can be hard to judge. It’s not high art and as cinematic junk food it does its job but even if the bar is set low, you can still expect a little more from films like this. An increased international presence should result in another film being made and if that does happen, I hope it has a little bit more fun and embraces its silliness a bit more. It might make for a more fun experience.
Reel Talk gives xXx: Return of Xander Cage 2 Reels
