In 2002, Vin Diesel marked his neck with three Xs and donned a tight, white muscle shirt to become thrill-seeker Xander Cage in xXx, a movie that is impossible to Google with proper results. Without losing street cred, this is an action film I actually recently returned to with surprising satisfaction. It is ridiculous, bloated, and excessive, but is self-aware and sprints with it.
Now, with another sequel in between, he’s back for xXx: Return of Xander Cage, which looks to gleefully carry the torch of its forefather while embracing the contemporary action spectacle sensibilities. Will it reach the insanely successful heights of the Fast franchise or secure itself as an action masterpiece? No comment. Will it be an enjoyable and exhilarating time at the movies? Potentially. If xXx has retained its attitude — and with some motorcycle surfing, it looks like it has — that’s perhaps all we can ask for. One small concerning factor is its January release, but we’ll just leave that there.
See the full trailer below for the D.J. Caruso-directed film also starring Nina Dobrev, Samuel L. Jackson, Donnie Yen, Ruby Rose, Toni Collette, and Deepika Padukone.
xXx: Return of Xander Cage slides into theaters January 20th.