HIGH DEF UNIVERSE

Reviewed by Sean Ferguson

When a group of lethal mercenaries steal a hi-tech weapon that poses a global threat, the world needs superspy Xander Cage (Vin Diesel). Recruited back into action, Xander leads a team of death-defying adrenaline junkies on a mission to kick some ass, save the day, and look dope while doing it. Packed with some of the most mind-blowing stunts ever caught on film, xXx: The Return of Xander Cage features a powerhouse international cast including Donnie Yen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Deepika Padukone, Kris Wu, Ruby Rose (John Wick: Chapter 2), Tony Jaa (Furious 7), Nina Dobrev (TV’s “The Vampire Diaries”), and Samuel L. Jackson (Kong: Skull Island).

While the first xXx film had some good moments, the second one was just ok, and now this third one has arrived and it turns out that the trailer for it was better than the movie itself. It doesn't help that Vin Diesel is now attempting to use the same tactics for this franchise that has made his Fast and the Furious series so popular. Now there's a focus on an internationally diverse cast to maximize the appeal worldwide, big stunts (although less involving cars), and a group of mismatched characters who join together to form a family. This is basically a blend of the F&F franchise, X-Games, and antics to appeal to bro-centric fans. 

The movie starts on a promising note with the opening scene of Augustus Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson) trying to recruit a new xXx agent. His entertaining recruitment is cut short by a remote controlled satellite that has been programmed to crash on top of him. Gibbons' apparent death is impetus for the agency led by Jane Mark (Toni Collette) to find the original xXx Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) to have him lead the investigation into Gibbons' death and also to find out who stole the "Pandora's Box," which is the device that was used to hijack the satellite used to kill Gibbons.

Cage has been spending his time stealing cable for the less fortunate through his X-Game skills so he's free to help out and he starts in the Philippines. There, he tracks down the team that stole Pandora's Box with the help of his own team of misfits. Cage talks with their de facto leader Xiang (Donnie Yen) and learns that they were a part of the xXx team too and were recruited by Gibbons as well. Half of their team wants to destroy Pandora's Box and the other half want to keep it out of unfriendly hands. Soon, everyone is after Pandora's Box, with the Russians, the xXx operatives, and a rogue operation withing the CIA all competing against each other.

xXx: The Return of Xander Cage is a ridiculous movie and it's well aware of that. The over the top X-Game stunts, and constant butt kissing of the Xander Cage character, and its derivative and empty plot all acknowledge that fact. This movie is powered by a paint by numbers plot that offers no surprises and it's so predictable that you can turn it off halfway through and still know how it will all end. It seems like this movie was only made to stroke Vin Diesel's ego as every character in the movie worships him and his character knows all of the answers and can do no wrong. It's boring to watch as an audience member. I've heard that people make the same complaint about the Bond movies, but he is constantly being berated by his superiors.

It also doesn't help that all of Cage's team are super annoying and smug with the exception of Donnie Yen who somehow rises above this film. The rest of them are all so busy trying to look cool that they end up just being insufferable. When a movie can make the extremely likable and talented Tony Jaa into a crazy little punk that just makes you want to punch him, you've gone wrong somewhere. While this film has some good action moments in it, I can't recommend it unless you are a big Vin Diesel fan. 

The 4K UHD version of the film is better than the Blu-ray but it could have been a little better for 4K. The overall picture is sharp and the colors are sharply delineated, but it's not the best UHD presentation I've seen. The Blu-ray is almost as good as the 4K UHD so if you're on the fence wondering which one to buy, the Blu-ray fares just about as well as the 4K edition. 

While the video isn't reference quality, the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio mix is. Although the movie isn't that great, it sure got a fantastic sound mix here. The surround channels are given a workout and keep the action flowing from one side of the room to the other. The score is also well served and its balanced perfectly well with the clear dialogue and the rest of the sound effects. This is an outstanding mix that will really show off your sound system. 

While there's no extras on the 4K disc, there are some on the Blu-ray version as well as an insert with a code for the digital copy of the movie. All of the extras are in high definition.

• Third Time's the Charm: Xander Returns - A short look at the return of the actor and the character to the franchise as well as the new characters.  
• Rebels, Tyrants & Ghosts: The Cast - A look at how the international cast was assembled and the characters that they play in the movie. 
• Opening Pandora's Box: On Location - At a little over sixteen minutes long, this extra is the most in depth in the set. It covers the various sets and location used in the film.
• I Live for This Sh#t!: Stunts - A fifteen minute look at the behind the scenes filming of the various stunts in the film.  
• Gag Reel 
• Digital Copy of the film