Plot
Darius Stone, a new agent in the XXX program, is sent to Washington, DC to defuse a power struggle amongst national leaders.

Release Year: 2005

Rating: 4.1/10 (26,535 voted)

Critic's Score: 37/100

Director: Lee Tamahori

Stars: Ice Cube, Samuel L. Jackson, Willem Dafoe

Storyline
Agent Augustus Gibbons has selected an imprisoned former US Navy SEAL Darius Stone, a new agent in the XXX program, travels to Washington D.C., where they track a splinter faction of the U.S. military that attempts to overthrow the U.S. government and assassinate the President, led by Secretary of Defense and former 4-Star General George Deckert, Stone's former commanding officer whom he once led a mutiny against. But he's been targeted for assassination by a radical splinter group of dissenters deep within the United States government. The new XXX agent must uncover the insurgents from within. It is the nation's only hope to stop the first coup d'etat in American history.

Writers: Rich Wilkes, Simon Kinberg

Cast:
Willem Dafoe - General George Deckert
Samuel L. Jackson - Agent Augustus Eugene Gibbons
Ice Cube - Darius Stone / XXX
Scott Speedman - Agent Kyle Christopher Steele
Xzibit - Zeke
Peter Strauss - President James Sanford
Michael Roof - Agent Toby Lee Shavers
Sunny Mabrey - Charlie Mayweather
Nona Gaye - Lola Jackson
John G. Connolly - Lt. Alabama 'Bama' Cobb
Ramon De Ocampo - Agent Meadows (as Ramón De Ocampo)
Barry Sigismondi - Bull
Michael Don Evans - Conductor
David Rountree - Agent
Ned Schmidtke - General Jack Pettibone

Taglines: Prepare for the next level

Official Website: Official site [Russia] | Sony Pictures [United States] |

Release Date: 29 April 2005

Filming Locations: Alameda Naval Air Station, Alameda, California, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $87,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: $12,712,272 (USA) (1 May 2005) (3480 Screens)

Gross: $25,607,347 (USA) (22 May 2005)

Runtime: 101 min

Trivia:
With the exception of shooting scenes on the Lincoln Memorial and the Ronald Reagan Building, most of the scenes taking place in Washington D.C were shot on sound stages including the main chamber of congress which was 30ft high and 450ft long. It was so good that representatives of The West Wing TV show even expressed interest in buying it.

Goofs:
Miscellaneous: Deckert continually refers to Cobb as "Sergeant" when he is listed in the credits as "Lieutenant Alabama 'Bama' Cobb".

Quotes:
[after he kills Charlie]
Agent Augustus Gibbons: See? I told you you should've killed that bitch.

xXx2: Coma State

Rating: 2/10

A film that should be retitled xXx2: Don't Say We Didn't Warn You.

Opening with an impressive first 7-8 minutes, this film moves into cookie cutter territory at a frightening speed and continues to derail any opportunity for the audience to engage in the ridiculous plot or heavily computer generated action sequences.

Ice Cube will never be thanking the academy (he at times look like he would struggle to play himself), but the Razzie committee should be on the lookout for this up and comer, this type of dribble is the cinematic equivalent of being run over repeatedly by a truck with the stereo cranked up to 11.

The first xXx was at least assure of itself, popcorn action with the acknowledgment that it was bang for buck and nothing more. State of The Union takes itself far too seriously with a plot so absurd you swear it was written by a focus group of 13 year old boys after a binge at McDonalds. Action sequences are spaced every ten minutes or so as bookends to move Cube onto the next dilemma, each new sequence becoming further and further detached from reality (the final twenty minutes is utter insanity that makes films like Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle seem like documentaries). A sequence involving a train should be parody material, not a serious plot device.

Samuel L Jackson cashes in his paycheck and plods through the movie looking as though he just read the script and realized what he has got himself involved in. Scott Speedman's looks too immature to play a senior NSA agent and is largely in the film so the white folks don't feel left out. Willem Dafoe typecasts himself as the overacting bad guy yet again and X-Zibit pops in so he can possible audition for the lead in the next sequel xXx3: Turkey Season.

Women are treated as fodder to either slap around or grind up against (sometimes at the same time) all to a soundtrack of nameless rappers inserted at appropriate moments so that the white kids can know what its like to be African American.

My only positive comment on this whole debacle are the cars used in the film, not being a car enthusiast even I had to be quietly impressed by the rides in this film. Also this film is under the 2 hour mark a sign of a film that does know when its wearing out its welcome.

Hopefully with the resoundingly negative response xXx2 has currently received another sequel looks unlikely, as films like this are about as satisfying as a having your nose broken.

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