{"id":15009,"date":"2017-05-07T17:57:37","date_gmt":"2017-05-08T00:57:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/?p=15009"},"modified":"2022-01-01T00:22:45","modified_gmt":"2022-01-01T08:22:45","slug":"review-xxx3-uhd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/2017\/05\/review-xxx3-uhd\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: xXx: Return of Xander Cage 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"xXx: Return of Xander Cage<\/em><\/strong>, like the first movie, is technically not good but with that had over this entry was a sense it was competently made and was for sure this was a good 8-10 years too late. Having said that, they seem to be set up for a truly fun fourth movie.<\/p>\n

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xXx: Return of Xander Cage<\/span>
\n(2017)<\/span>
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Genre(s): <\/strong>Action
\nParamount | PG13 \u2013 106 min. \u2013 $49.99 | May 16, 2017<\/p>\n

Date Published:<\/strong> 05\/07\/2017 | Author:<\/strong> The Movieman<\/span><\/p>\n

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MOVIE INFO:
\n<\/u>Directed by: <\/strong>D.J. Caruso
\nWriter(s): <\/strong>Rich Wilkes (characters); F. Scott Frazier (screenplay)
\nCast: <\/strong>Vin Diesel, Donnie Yen, Deepika Padukone, Kris Wu, Ruby Rose, Tony Jaa, Nina Dobrev, Rory McCann, Toni Collette, Samuel L. Jackson, Ice Cube<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
DISC INFO:
\n<\/u>Features: <\/strong>Featurettes, Gag Reel
\nDigital Copy: <\/strong>Yes
\nFormats Included: <\/strong>4K, Blu-ray
\nNumber of Discs: <\/strong>2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Audio: <\/strong>English (Dolby Atmos), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), Portuguese (Dolby Digital 5.1)
\nVideo (4K): <\/strong>2160p\/Widescreen 2.40
\nVideo (BD): <\/strong>1080p\/Widescreen 2.40
\nSubtitles (4K\/BD): <\/strong>English SDH, English French, Portuguese, Spanish
\nDisc Size: <\/strong>NA
\nCodecs: <\/strong>HEVC \/ H.265 (4K), MPEG-4 AVC (BD)
\nRegion(s): <\/strong>A, B, C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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THE MOVIE \u2014 2.75\/5<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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The first xXx<\/em> film was over-the-top but entertaining even if it hasn\u2019t aged all that well and screams early 2000s with its style. The sequel, xXx: State of the Union<\/em> was just plain awful in my one and only viewing. Now 15 after the first we get xXx: Return of Xander Cage<\/em><\/strong> which thankfully ignores the dumb (and insulting) short film, The Final Chapter: The Death of Xander Cage<\/em>, and while it does seem too late to revive the franchise, no doubt Diesel\u2019s rise in star power with the Fast and Furious<\/em> line has breathed new life. However, the end result is a movie that has its moments of insanity and mindlessness.<\/p>\n

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Note: <\/strong>This review contains spoilers<\/strong> concerning the plot so reader\u2019s beware!<\/p>\n

xXx: Return of Xander Cage<\/em><\/strong> opens with Gibbons (SAMUEL L. JACKSON) recruiting the newest member (NEYMAR JR.) in his xXx program when a satellite falls into an adjacent building killing him and said recruit. I think we\u2019ve been through Gibbons getting \u201ckilled\u201d in State of the Union<\/em>… The satellite was downed via an all encompassing device called God\u2019s Eye err I mean Pandora\u2019s Box. The device eventually got into the hands of the CIA but quickly stolen by a group of niftily-skilled thieves \u2014 Xiang (DONNIE YENG), Serena (DEEPIKA PADUKONE), Talon (TONY JAA) and Hawk (MICHAEL BISPING) \u2014 who complete unbelievable stunts and manage to steal Pandora\u2019s Box; Xiang wants to sell it while Serena wants to destroy it, conflict doesn\u2019t ensue.<\/p>\n

CIA Agent Jane Marke (TONI COLLETTE) knows there\u2019s only one person who can face up against this squad: Xander Cage (VIN DIESEL) who over the course of 15 years has traveled around the world helping the helpless get reception to watch soccer matches. And other good deeds, but he risks life and limb to get one small town television reception. In any case, somehow Marke manages to track him down and uses a similar scenario as the first film which he immediately sniffs out.<\/p>\n

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Marke catches Xander up on what\u2019s going on and after brief resistance accepts the mission, though he dismisses the team she saddles him with and instead wants his own crew: DJ extraordinaire Nicks (KRIS WU), sniper Adele (RUBY ROSE) and Captain Boomerang wannabe Tennyson Torch (RORY MCCANN), and aiding them with the latest tech is Becky Clearidge (NINA DOBREV).<\/p>\n

Now Cage and his crew go up against Xiang and his all the while someone is playing them all holding the real Pandora\u2019s Box (the one stolen had minimal capabilities) and holds the world hostage, etc. and we learn Xiang and company have their own connection to the xXx program.<\/p>\n

As I mentioned before, I actually enjoyed xXx<\/em> not only back in 2002 but even a few months ago when I revisited the film with the 15th anniversary edition, although admittedly some of the effects doesn\u2019t hold up and it did have that distinct early 2000s appearance and soundtrack. With regards to xXx: Return of Xander Cage<\/em><\/strong>, it felt like at times like a generic action film plus sloppy editing and in those spots, it was hard to get full invested. But even though this one has some laughably bad visual effects (the motorbikes riding an ocean wave was particularly terrible), there were some enjoyable moments particularly when the two teams join forces and some fight scenes had decent enough choreography.<\/p>\n

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The cast probably was the saving grace. Vin Diesel might not have great range with the only difference between his Cage and Toretto is what tats he sports, but it\u2019s undeniable he has charm and screen presence. Chinese superstar Donnie Yen (in posters over there, he was prominently displayed over Diesel) doesn\u2019t have a whole lot to work with yet he made for both a formidable opponent turned ally; Deepika Padukone is beautifully hot as the female love interest this go around for Cage and, like Yen, is well known in India; Ruby Rose marks her 3rd appearance in a two month span (Resident Evil: The Final Chapter<\/em>, John Wick: Chapter Two<\/em>) and she plays the give-no-f**k gal she usually plays; and the rest more or less fill out cardboard thin characters. Last is Toni Collette as a hidden villain (a term I just now found out about). There\u2019s not all that memorable about her other than she seems like a vastly lesser version of Charlize Theron\u2019s Cypher character from Fate of the Furious<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The latest director in the series is D.J. Caruso who early one had a nice career going following the modern twist on Rear Window<\/em> with Disturbia<\/em> but since his movies have includes The Disappointments Room<\/em> (apt title), Eagle Eye<\/em> (decent enough thriller) and the ho-hum teen sci-fi flick I Am Number Four<\/em>. With xXx3<\/em><\/strong>, it\u2019s a plug-and-play kind of thing going on and unlike the Furious<\/em> movies, gets about half the budget so is limited with the vfx and masking Diesel\u2019s stuntman.<\/p>\n

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There\u2019s no doubt xXx: Return of Xander Cage<\/em><\/strong> is a messy and vastly inconsistent action-er but for its faults (and plenty to go around), I\u2019d be lying if I didn\u2019t say it had some entertainment value. That said, like Sin City: A Dame to Kill For<\/em> before it, this is a film 10 years too late but with a massive haul overseas ($301 million), might get another sequel and with this ensemble, could lead to a fun film.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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SPECIAL FEATURES \u2013 3.0\/5<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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This release comes with a matted, title-embossed, slip cover<\/strong>. Inside is a redemption code for the Digital HD<\/u><\/strong> copy.<\/p>\n

Featurettes (TRT 59:58):<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n