XXX: State Of The Union DVD Review

Sequels usually tend to either attempt to duplicate the original, or in most cases, they try and outdo the original. By making the sequel bigger the studios seem to think that it will be better, or at least attract more ticket buyers. The problem with all sequels coming from Vin Diesel movies is that unless he agrees to return there is a difficulty finding someone to fill his shoes. It isn’t that Diesel is a fantastic actor, although some of his earlier films showed great promise without relying on his biceps, but the combination of Diesel’s large stature and menacingly deep voice isn’t found in many stars. Unlike the 1980s, which was filled with large and muscular macho men in action films, Vin Diesel exists in a time where there are few others to step in the sequels of his films, which is why the sequel to The Fast and the Furious was so disappointing, and why XXX: State of the Union seems like it should have been made before Vin Diesel’s XXX.

In the original XXX Diesel is an extreme sports fanatic that gets recruited to work as an elite spy with no identity for his country. The reason for recruiting a sports fanatic is in order to find someone without a military record or any expected training that would make their identity discoverable. In XXX: State of the Union they decide to go “even further off the grid” by finding a prisoner, but the prisoner is a military prisoner with a legendary and record-breaking career. His name is so widely known that the XXX status never even comes into play until the final shot of the film as Darius Stone (Ice Cube) drives away into the sunset. Somehow in this basic setup, by enlisting a former Navy Seal as XXX, the entire premise and execution of a spy film is thrown out the window. This also effectively adds little reason for any spy action after the beginning, which opens the film up for many more scenes of shoot-outs and fights.

This time around the spy action is all located on American soil, although the previous film’s obsession with cars and equipment, either in regards to machinery or the equipment on women’s bodies, is brought back on a lesser scale. Instead XXX: State of the Union brings more emphasis on the ridiculous stunts which were also prominent in the original, and by enlisting the director of one of the sillier James Bond films, Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day), the gunplay and stunts are kept constant while remaining PG-13.

The new XXX, Stone, is enlisted when an attack is made on the offices run by Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson), and when it is discovered that a corrupt Secretary of State (Willem Dafoe) is planning an attack on the President (Peter Strauss). Set mostly in Washington D.C., XXX: State of the Union is part espionage film and part fugitive film, as Stone must break out of prison in order to help save the president. Scott Speedman plays the agent hunting Stone down, adding slightly more to the plot.

Although the plot is a little predictable and mostly runs thin to allow the action to speak for itself, this may be the saving grace of the film on Blu-ray. All of the action, special effects, and absurdly digitally created stunts presented on high definition is no more believable, but it at least look much more impressive. While scoffing at the film I still kept my eyes glued to the images like an alcoholic with cheap beer. The images are spectacular and the audio seems far more impressive than the average action spectacular. In all fairness to the poorly written action film, the technical aspects are as predictably spot-on as Hollywood has come to be known for, and I don’t think I would have sat through this film as easily if these elements hadn’t been presented so vividly.

The Blu-ray special features include a commentary track with Tamahori and screenwriter Simon Kinberg as well as a separate commentary for the visual effects of the film. There are also a number of featurettes, most of which are invested in the technical aspect of the action, although there are also interviews with Ice Cube. There are also several delete scenes, including one hidden in an easter egg.