Review: xXx² – The Next Level (or is it xXx: State of the Union ?)
One down, how many more to go ? That’s the question. Well, it doesn’t really matter, actually, as dropping Vin Diesel was a major improvement on its own. So how does Ice Cube handle his tough act role ? Well, that doesn’t seem to really matter either. Thanks to Lee Tamahori, who follows the action packed Die Another Day (remember the fake ice cap scene ?) with an even more explosive version of it. More bang, more glitter and more shiny things and to top it off, a CGI end sequence right out of the server farm with no time to apply realistic surface bumping and textures. Acting wasn’t a requirement either on Lee’s shortlist. Then again, the script wasn’t that demanding. But then again, even the punchlines (pretty much the whole script) come out as if they’re already on a deadline with no film to spare. But hey, at least the eye candy (lots of old fashioned explosions combined with lots of blue screens) was there. No matter what the official title of the movie is, it’s definitely not one you’d want on your resume.6½.