james bond – Tripping Through Gateways

So, one year before Casino Royale, xXx is back. Vin Diesel is not, but yeah, the Franchise soldiers on. Although both Diesel and Rob Cohen were both signed on, they eventually dropped out. In a bit of irony, the film is directed by the director of Die Another Day, Lee Tamahori. Replacing Diesel’s Xander Cage as the new xXx is Ice Cube’s Darius Stone.

Samuel L. Gibson’s Gibbons is back in charge, and they face a situation that requires someone tougher than Cage. That is Darius Stone. Stone is a highly decorated Marine who tried standing up to his corrupt commanding officer and was locked up for it. Stone is pretty much a one man army, as evidenced by his prison escape.

It turns out, his former CO is part of a dark plot that needs Stone, as xXx, to take him and his cronies down. And that is pretty much it. Like it’s predecessor, State of the Union is mostly a showcase for outrageous stunts and action sequences. And snappy comebacks. Ice Cube is always reliable for attitude fueled quips.

The film was very obviously setting itself up for a sequel, setting the franchise up to have a different actor in the role each film. This seems like a setup of necessity. This is a serviceable sequel with the expected performances from it’s cast. If you are looking for deep espionage, xXx: State of the Union is not going to be all that satisfying. It is, however, a pretty fun popcorn action spy movie.

Vin Diesel was a star on the rise. 2000 to 2002 really cemented him as a certain type of action star. He had a hit with the Fast and the Furious. He followed up with the action spy thriller xXx. The film re-teamed Diesel with his The Fast and the Furious Director Rob Cohen.

As spy movies go, the clear inspiration here is James Bond. It follows that template closely. There is the M (Gibbons, played by Samuel L. Jackson), the Q, the gadgets and the girls. And of course, the Bond. Diesel’s Xander Cage is an attempt to flip the Bond formula on it’s head. He has no real interest in being a warrior for his country. Xander is a popular Extreme Sports guy and anarchist who does not suffer fools lightly. His first act is to steal and trash the car of an anti-video game senator.

Xander is pushed by Gibbons to join the Triple X program, as a super spy. He tracks down and engages with the bad guys, meets a girl who may or may not be on the side of good. The story is not the star here. It is Diesel and the stunts. It is a showcase for exciting and death defying acts. And Diesel has a certain charm as the tough guy who walks that line of heroic but driven by ego.

This came out the same year as the final Brosnan Bond film Die Another Day. That film put the Bond Franchise to sleep for a few years. xXx is not a classic, but it definitely had fun with the formula, making for an enjoyable ride.

I confess, I was not waiting as anxiously for this film. Craig has gone out of his way to show a real lack of enthusiasm for the role. And yeah, some of the criticisms are very accurate, though I felt they were doing a better job as toning those things down and moving towards eliminating them.

Casino Royal was a game changer for the franchise that revitalized the series. Craig was seen as one of the best Bonds. Folks were excited for the next film…and then came Quantum of Solace. And enthusiasm dampened. Then they announced Sam Mendes as director for Skyfall. And people started getting excited again. Javier Bardem was announced as the villain and people got a bit more excited (but nervous when they saw his hairstyle). And Skyfall came out. And enthusiasm again dampened.

I did not hate Quantum of Solace or Skyfall. They were okay, and far from the worst the franchise has offered. but they focused to much on villains that were never that interesting with back stories so tied to bond, they felt like they lacked the bigger motives. gone are the notions of Bond discovering a plan and being the fly in the ointment, he became their focus.

Any hope that Spectre would turn things around (and end Craig’s run on a high note) were dashed. It is simply enjoyable. It has some great action sequences, and M’s heavier involvement in the resolution of the film (in spite of the film relying yet again on the notion of Bond being cut off and on his own) works well. Same with making Q and Moneypenny heavier hitters, so to speak.

Yet, often, when the film gets talky, it gets immensely boring and never feels like it advances the story. Wit and wordplay are part of the history of Bond, yet Spectre lacks any of it. Craig’s Bond may be less of a misogynist, but he is also plenty dreary.

The film has decided the relationship between Blofeld and Bond needs to be intensely personal. There is no need for this, and wastes a great actor like Christophe Waltz on a rather uninspired take on the villain. The organization of Spectre lacks any ominous threat.

That said, the action sequences are solid and exciting. And I really liked the opening credits sequence. But if this is Craig’s last outing as Bond? It does not end on a high note.

Tag: james bond

Franchise Adjustment (xXx: State of the Union)

Breaking Bond (xXx, 2002)

Bond’s Childhood Issues (Spectre, 2015)