The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Let’s just get one thing straight: we can all agree that, unless he makes some major changes in his career, Vin Diesel isn’t going to be winning any Oscars any time soon. But there are few working actors that do what he does as well as he does it. He’s often dismissed as a Steven Segal-type when it comes to the action genre, but that’s slightly unfair, as xXx: Return of Xander Cage proves.

As a whole, the third part of the action series is as cringe-inducing as the first two instalments, but it does have its moments and they’re all owed to Diesel’s intangible macho charisma and occasional dry comedic delivery.

The plot presents nothing new; after the Ice Cube-starring xXx: State of the Union made refer to Xander Cage’s death, it turns out that he was alive and well after all, enjoying self-imposed isolation. He’s quickly recruited by the CIA, however, to aid in the search for the villainous Xiang, who’s in possession of a powerful device named Pandora’s Box, which can control military missiles. The layers of predictably extend to another plot, which finds Cage questioning the motives of those around him, in a government agency conspiracy kind-of-way.

The key to enjoying this film even a little bit relies on one thing: that the viewer revels in its action-trashy tone and aesthetic. There’s a touch of the kitsch to the whole piece that shapes everything from adrenaline-junkie here’s costume, to the leering gaze the camera takes on the scores of scantily-clad women that appear in the film.

On the plus side, the return of Samuel L. Jackson as the hard-nosed, face-scarred Agent Gibbons provides its own moments of thrill, while Toni Collette adds a much need touch of subtlety in her role as the figure that brings Cage out of exile.

Other notable performances include Orange is the New Black’s Ruby Rose, and Bollywood star, Deepika Padukone, who are part of the crew that Cage takes on the big bad with. Which brings us to Donnie Yen; the script fits one of Hong Kong’s top action stars into the worst of action clichés – a cold, calculating Asian villain, whose martial arts prowess is used as a hollow and predictable gimmick. But then again, you can apply the same rule – if you’re going to enjoy this film even a little bit, then you need to, not just tolerate its filmic trashiness, but to thoroughly engross yourself in it. Otherwise, you’re left with a cheesy, unoriginal plot whose occasionally impressive action sequences are the only noteworthy element.