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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017) in Movies

Jun 19, 2019

It is hard to believe that it has been fifteen years since audiences were introduced to Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) in “XXX”. Ice Cube continued the series with “XXX: State of the Union” in 2005 but since then the series has been dormant with the occasional rumor of a new film arising.

The new film follows the long assumed deceased Xander Cage returning to action in the XXX program when a group of highly skilled operatives attack a meeting and steal a device known as Pandora’s Box which allows the users unlimited access to personal data and satellite control such as being able to use thousands of orbiting devices as weapons of terror by crashing them into cities the world over.

In a race against time, Cage must assemble a team of operatives and discover the location of the device and obtain it at any cost.

Things become more complicated as the investigation unfolds and Cage and his crew soon find themselves battling enemies from multiple sides which results in several over the top action sequences and stunts which have been a staple of the series.

The supporting cast is very strong especially Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa as well as the sadly underused Samuel L. Jackson.

The biggest issue with the film is that it takes insane liberties with the plot even by action film standards and seem little more than a device to get the cast into one action scene after another without any thought to logic or coherency. Even by action film standards it is all over the place and takes some great leaps of logic. The dialogue is often groan inducing at Diesel seems to be at times walking through his performance until he is required to do something of a physical nature.

The action is the saving grace of the film as the cast makes their action scenes a ballet of chaos as they nimbly smash, shoot, and destroy everything in their path which is essentially what fans of the series want in the end.

It has been reported that a new film in the series is already planned by the studio which would be a welcome adventure as it would be nice to see this crew back in action. My only wish is that they are given a script that is worthy of the assembled talent.

http://sknr.net/2017/01/20/xxx-return-xander-cage/

Kudos

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Bullet to the Head (2013) in Movies

Aug 7, 2019

Bullet to the Head (2013)

2013 | Action, Mystery

6.2

(6 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Action icon Sylvester Stallone follows up his smash hit “The Expendables 2” with a turn as a New Orleans hitman on a mission of revenge in “Bullet to the Head”. Produced by Walter Hill, who brought us such classics as the “Alien” series and directed films such as “Red Heat” and “48 Hours”, his signature style is evident throughout.

Stallone plays James Bonomo, a.k.a. Jimmy Bobo, a thug with a long rap sheet and few friends. After celebrating a successful contract hit, his partner is brutally killed and an attempt is made on Jimmy’s life as well. Suspecting that they’d been setup, James reluctantly meets with a D.C. detective named Taylor Kwon (Sung Kang), who is in town to investigate the murder of his former partner. Fate forces the duo to work with one another despite Kwon’s by-the-book nature and utter disdain for James and his choice of profession. The two soon uncover a large conspiracy that threatens not only their lives but the cities very powerful and elite, making the duo the prime targets for those who will stop at nothing.

Despite having a fairly formulaic plot, the film works very well, thanks in large part to the cast. The two leads work very well with one another, and the fine supporting work by Jason Momoa and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje really set the tone. The action in the film is intense and at times brutal but does not seem gratuitous, making it clear that the characters live in a violent world where accepting death is second nature to the urge to kill.

Stallone gives a very physical performance as the world weary James and you can tell that he went all out for the films action sequences despite the toll his body had to take. The film is based on the graphic novel “Du Plomb dans la Tête” and captures the elements of a classic film noir, with the action of a buddy cop film without pandering to many of the genre stereotypes.

While I enjoyed Schwarzenegger’s “The Last Stand” a bit more, I was very surprised at how enjoyable the film was after being underwhelmed by the trailer. In the end, if you’re a fan of Stallone, and love a good action film, then this is one you will not want to miss.