Emerging from exile, this third film in the franchise sees the return of Xander to the XXX program. Tasked with recovering Pandora's Box, a weapon capable of mass destruction, Xander must battle others who want the box while struggling with a team that wants him to fail.
Vin Diesel (Xander), Donnie Yen (Xiang), Deepika Padukone (Serena), Kris Wu (Nicks), Ruby Rose (Adele), Tony Jaa (Talon), Nina Dobrev (Becky), Rory McCann (Torch), Toni Collette (Marke), Samuel Jackson (Gibbons), Ice Cube (Stone).
Back for the third film in the franchise, Xander is recalled from exile by the government when a weapon of mass destruction called Pandora's Box is unleashed on the world. Assigned a team that doesn't like him, Xander must also overcome alpha warrior Xiang, who also wants the device. The stage now set, the film settles into action mode with everything from crazy motorcycle stunts to crashing satellites. While the plot is larger than life as always in this franchise, there still isn't much depth and focus returns to the action.
Acting was okay but really, the film and even the franchise are starting to feel like The Vin Diesel Show. Sadly, his acting skills don't seem to be improving and even physically Diesel doesn't feel like the imposing muscle monster of the past. Cameo appearances by Jackson and Ice Cube lent some depth, but not much. Yen was enjoyable, as was Dobrev. Padukone was okay but felt like she couldn't stand up to the depth of her role. The remainder of the cast was a bit stiff, but decent.
Camera work was good until the action scenes, at which point it was ridiculously obvious that fast switching was being used to hide the lack of detail. Sets and backgrounds were enjoyable and impressive as always. Dialogue was a bit dry. Sound and soundtrack were okay.
While the first couple of films were decent, xXx: Return of Xander Cage feels like it was phoned in. Action scenes and some technical work felt cheap, acting was flat, and a long-term plot line seems to be missing. The result is 107 minutes of film that will appeal primarily to Diesel fans or those who enjoy pointless testosterone fueled action.
With plenty of violence and some foul language, this should be fine for teens and above.
Released: 2017
Reviewed: 6.28.17
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Action & Adventure, Action Thriller, Espionage Thrillers, Action, Adventure
copyright ©2017 Dave Riedel
Vin Diesel (Xander), Donnie Yen (Xiang), Deepika Padukone (Serena), Kris Wu (Nicks), Ruby Rose (Adele), Tony Jaa (Talon), Nina Dobrev (Becky), Rory McCann (Torch), Toni Collette (Marke), Samuel Jackson (Gibbons), Ice Cube (Stone).
Back for the third film in the franchise, Xander is recalled from exile by the government when a weapon of mass destruction called Pandora's Box is unleashed on the world. Assigned a team that doesn't like him, Xander must also overcome alpha warrior Xiang, who also wants the device. The stage now set, the film settles into action mode with everything from crazy motorcycle stunts to crashing satellites. While the plot is larger than life as always in this franchise, there still isn't much depth and focus returns to the action.
Acting was okay but really, the film and even the franchise are starting to feel like The Vin Diesel Show. Sadly, his acting skills don't seem to be improving and even physically Diesel doesn't feel like the imposing muscle monster of the past. Cameo appearances by Jackson and Ice Cube lent some depth, but not much. Yen was enjoyable, as was Dobrev. Padukone was okay but felt like she couldn't stand up to the depth of her role. The remainder of the cast was a bit stiff, but decent.
Camera work was good until the action scenes, at which point it was ridiculously obvious that fast switching was being used to hide the lack of detail. Sets and backgrounds were enjoyable and impressive as always. Dialogue was a bit dry. Sound and soundtrack were okay.
While the first couple of films were decent, xXx: Return of Xander Cage feels like it was phoned in. Action scenes and some technical work felt cheap, acting was flat, and a long-term plot line seems to be missing. The result is 107 minutes of film that will appeal primarily to Diesel fans or those who enjoy pointless testosterone fueled action.
With plenty of violence and some foul language, this should be fine for teens and above.
Released: 2017
Reviewed: 6.28.17
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Action & Adventure, Action Thriller, Espionage Thrillers, Action, Adventure
copyright ©2017 Dave Riedel
No comments:
Post a Comment