Xander Cage is back, the third instalment in the xXx series takes pains to stress in its name and dialogue, though audiences could be forgiven for failing to notice the character’s absence. Vin Diesel’s extreme sports enthusiast turned reluctant spy was first introduced to the world in the 2002 feature, only to remain absent from 2005’s sequel xXx: The Next Level. And yet, with the star behind him still immersed in daredevil antics in the hefty Fast and Furious series, which reaches its eighth instalment in 2017, the “rebellious rogue with a posse of pals” niche he has happily made his own has stayed in full view.
Indeed, a cheekier smile, an abundance of wisecracks and a looser vibe can’t mask the similarities between two of Diesel’s three main on-screen protagonists (alongside The Chronicles of Riddick saga’s titular character), nor does the film that transports Cage back to cinemas really make an effort to. Swapping cars and heists for skiing through a jungle and motorbiking on water, while retaining the same brand of well-meaning outlaw behaviour, xXx: Return of Xander Cage actively endeavours to not only place its eponymous figure back in the spotlight, but to create a comparable parallel franchise to Diesel’s biggest hit. Within the narrative, that includes bringing together an international team, finding both friends and enemies in law enforcement, and putting the requisite pieces in play for future chapters.
As directed by D.J. Caruso (The Disappointments Room) from a screenplay by F. Scott Frazier (Autobahn), the action begins with NSA operative and xXx program architect Augustus Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children). While he’s attempting to enlist a new recruit, a fiery object crashes down from space, leaving fellow agency head Jane Marke (Toni Collette, Krampus) to manoeuvre Cage back into the espionage fold in the aftermath. A satellite-tracking and hijacking device proves the source of all the trouble after falling into the wrong hands. With sharpshooter Adele Wolff (Ruby Rose, TV’s Orange Is the New Black), crash fantastic Tennyson Torch (Rory McCann, Game of Thrones), and DJ Nicks (Kris Wu, The Mermaid) part of the motley crew by his side (described as “the good, the bad, the extreme and the completely insane”), the returned xXx hero hops around the globe to track down the box in question, as well as the forces wielding it for nefarious ends.
Watching Diesel doing what he has made a career out of, albeit in an outlandish coat and in an adrenaline junkie Bond-type scenario, can’t take xXx: Return of Xander Cage far. The latter may bring him full circle in his flirting with Point Break — starring in an ostensible high-octane do-over, then channelling its thrill-seeking into xXx, only to be followed by a real extreme sports remake, and then upping the ante in this latest effort — but the slick mess of stunts and violence that eventuates quickly turns monotonous. Even with intentional laughs in mind in the absence of emotional stakes, packaging it with tired sitcom one-liners and frequent shots of Cage’s neck tattoo doesn’t help.
At least one element of sticking to Diesel’s now-preferred formula returns modest results, though: most of the ensemble he’s surrounded by. Their escapades might be over-the-top and void of intelligence, but Donnie Yen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) and Deepika Padukone (Bajirao Mastani) ooze ample interest; just enough to retain a spark of attention. As a blonde-mopped martial artist and a stereotypical geek girl in tech support, Tony Jaa (Never Back Down: No Surrender) and Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries) demonstrate the other end of the spectrum, but the team dynamic still remains the most convincing aspect of the film. Of course, Fast and Furious history dictates that stressing the important of pseudo-family is by design, but whether it can pay off when the next inevitable xXx follow-up arrives — rather than offering another big, ridiculous imitation — is far from assured.
Rating: 2 stars out of 5
xXx: Return of Xander Cage
Director: D.J. Caruso
USA, 2017, 107 mins
Release date: January 19
Distributor: Paramount
Rated: M
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