XXX: Return of Xander Cage (2017) - D.J. Caruso

D.J. Caruso's XXX: Return of Xander Cage marks the reemergence of the mind-numbing action/adventure series starring Vin Diesel , finding extreme athlete turned government agent Xander Cage long thought to be dead, coming out of self-imposed exile to help bring down Xiang, and his team of diabolical baddies, who are intent on recovering the seemingly unstoppable weapon, ominously named Pandora's Box.  XXX: Return of Xander Cage is a film that doesn't apologize for its 'cash grab' ambitions and over-the-top cheesy tone, being a film that very much rides on the wave of its outlandish premise, taking every chance it can get to remind the viewer that its extreme athlete protagonist, always, ALWAYS, plays by his own rules.  D.J. Caruso's direction itself is so self-aware that it almost feels like the filmmaker is making fun of the story and his own characters, accentuating various protagonist's tattoos throughout the film, almost winking and nodding at the viewer as he proclaims through visuals, "look how tough these character's are! they don't conform to what they man wants! They are rebels".  At one point the film even has a sequence between Xander Cage and a potential love interest, where in a moment of intimacy they share each other's various tattoos, sequence that bares a striking resemblance to Lethal Weapon, where Riggs and Cole share battle scars.  This film pulls out all the stops in its dedication to romanticizing its counter-culture protagonist, unapologetic in its pursuit of presenting Xander as a character who only does what he wants to do. Everything about this film is drenched in masculinity and renegade culture, with Xander being a character who works with the CIA, not for him, even assembling his own motley crew, one he can trust that isn't directly linked to the government establishment.  Riding off the curtails of the Fast and Furious success, XXX: The Return of Xander Cage feels very much like it was created in a think tank, unapologetic in the ways it attempts to mimic the highly successful series, whether it be through the main protagonist's overall brooding, yet carefree attitude, the rejection of all things physics, or the film's overall renegade/ anti-authority attitude which pulsates throughout the entire film at every turn.  The team which Xander assembles is one of the more obvious homages/ripoffs to the Fast and Furious franchise, featuring a ragtag group of operatives who themselves struggle with authority and are more likely to be found in a state penitentiary than working for any government agency.  While these members serve their purpose, being renegades who Xander can relate to and trust,  I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of one of them in particularly, a character who is basically a DJ, using his musical skills merely to create diversions throughout the film for his more action-inclined cohorts.  While the film does have a few memorable action set pieces due primarily to their outlandish design, the film's action never stands out as a whole, relying far too much on the direction's assured nature, which punctuates moments of chaos as much as possible through composition and speed ramping, with the action choreography itself leaving something to be desired.  Drenched in its rebellious, anti-mainstream culture motif, XXX: Return of Xander Cage does present the United States Intelligence community in a very negative light, a film which uses its renegade-fueled-bro protagonist to draw a lazy, but important statement on the US Governments spying program, with Xander Cage even referring to the US government as "just another tyrant" at one point in the film, ooooh how edgy!  Much like the first film in the franchise,  D.J. Caruso's XXX: Return of Xander Cage is rather enjoyable, big, dumb experience that attempts to piggy-off the success of the Fast and Furious franchise, delivering a film that is unapologetic in its romanticization of extreme sports and renegade culture. 

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