xXx: The Return of Xander Cage

This sequel suited me just fine. Although I was initially skeptical about the characters that emerged here, it actually worked. I especially liked the fact that Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa are given some space - Donnie more - and there are scenes where they can show their mastery. Still, they deserved more space. For me, though, it's a pleasant B-movie break. (01/23/2017)

Right at the beginning there is an action scene which looks like it was cut out from the worst junk novel, written by someone who as soon as he realized what a terrible nonsense he has written, he rather burnt the whole thing just so not a single eye can ever see it again. After this terrible “funny” nonsense, Vin Diesel gets to a place where we meet another bunch of morons, where everyone is as nice as nails in the ass. Then there is a lot of bullshit being said and here and there an action scene that is as dumb as the rest of the scenes. The only plus side of the film is the director and the digital effects, which prevent this film from hitting the rock bottom. I don't know who came up with the idea that the present time is going to be crazy about wacky action movies. But since they do want to shoot them, they could at least try to make the actors not aggravating but entertaining. Unfortunately, Vin Diesel cannot keep the entire movie afloat just by himself. (10/27/2017)

After fifteen years, I would have expected a far more marked evolutionary change than what I got. Nowadays, most of the big studios producing mainstream action heroes know that it's easier to do things in a team and the audience enjoys it. The new XXX came up with this idea and it has to be said that half of the squad is more interesting than the alpha man himself, who makes a few comments here and there, fights once or twice and that's about it. Tony Jaa and Donnie Yen don't have much room to stand out thanks to the hasty editing and confusion of the action scenes, and the girls are damn good at it, but the shooting doesn't quite work for them. We are willing to bend genre standards and boundaries, you know before you watch it that it's going to be dumb, but not many people expect it to be this stupid and badly made. (01/21/2017)

I guess I’m just too old for this. The story makes very little sense. The action scenes are OK, but excessively digital in places. And Diesel is no longer the young buck that he used to be, more like the jolly uncle who forgot to grow up. The girls are hot, by the way, and here and there Donnie Yen puts on a fine show, even though it’s pitifully cut. Even Tony Jaa is underused and pretty awkward at times. Enough of that. If it’s not on tape, it didn’t happen. (01/25/2017)