xXx: Return of Xander Cage
The belated third installment in the xXx franchise does the series no favours.
Ruby Rose
Director D.J. Caruso clearly spent hours researching for this mindless adventure by watching video games. The third instalment of this tired franchise finds extreme athlete Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) on a dangerous mission in order to recover Pandora’s Box – a lethal weapon that is able to destroy every satellite in the world...
The opening is fun with Samuel L. Jackson reprising his role of Augustus Gibbons, the agent who initially recruited xXx to co-operate with the government. But soon afterwards Caruso loses the plot with endless twists and turns, where nothing makes sense and one simply doesn’t care. Diesel appears to be sleepwalking throughout the action sequences while Toni Collette looks stiff and uncomfortable as powerful executive Jane Marks. The whole thing has a feeling of déjà vu while the very basic 3D effects add nothing and fail to enhance the experience. This is strictly for undemanding 14-year-old boys.
GEORGE SAVVIDES
Cast: Vin Diesel, Donnie Yen, Deepika Padukone, Kris Wu, Ruby Rose, Tony Jaa, Nina Dobrev, Toni Collette, Ice Cube, Samuel L. Jackson, Nicky Jam, Rory McCann, Al Sapienza.
Dir D.J. Caruso, Pro Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Vin Diesel and Samantha Vincent, Screenplay F. Scott Frazier, Ph Russell Carpenter, Pro Des Jon Billington, Ed Jim Page and Vince Filippone, Music Brian Tyler and Robert Lydecker, Costumes Kimberly A. Tillman.
Paramount Pictures/One Race Films/Revolution Studios/Roth Kirschenbaum Films-Paramount Pictures
106 mins. USA. 2017. Rel: 19 January 2017. Cert. 12A.
