Movie Review: XXX: State of the Union
Rate This Article
What Parents Should Know
This movie includes intense action sequences, some strong
language ("bitch" is a favorite for the men), and sexual
innuendo (the women show cleavage repeatedly). The first scene
is full of troops in black SWAT-style uniforms shooting
automatic weapons and being blown up. Characters drink and
smoke (and Darius is fond of French fries). Violence takes the
form of explosions (so bodies fly in front of bursting flames),
missiles fired, shoot-outs, vehicle chases, and hand-to-hand
fighting. Many anonymous bodies fall.
Families can talk about the threat against the U.S. government (both scary and familiar in action movies), and the ways characters justify violence (to defend the nation, spread freedom). Families might also discuss Darius' very vocal opposition to racism and his moral decisions, how he chooses a right side (and the right girlfriend) when all choices involve violence. Why does he reject the abstract idea of authority but decide to serve the President? How is his friendship with Gibbons (a father figure) important in these decisions?
Common Sense Media Review
Darius, the new Agent XXX (Ice Cube replacing Vin Diesel,
whose character is pronounced dead and never seen in this
film), is an ex-gangsta, very tough, very independent-minded.
He's actually in prison, looking mean, when his old associate,
NSA Agent Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson), recruits him for a
mission, to defend Washington DC against invasion by U.S.
troops, led by the Secretary of Defense Deckert (Willem Dafoe,
as another one-dimensional villain unworthy of his talents).
But Darius is not so surly as he first appears, and Cube makes
an unusual action hero, cooler and shorter than most, charming
and vaguely complex. "D" has a history, a good heart, and a
stunning fearlessness, jumping off bridges and onto flying
helicopters, even though his small frame doesn't seem capable
of enduring such wild stunts (he is not at all like Diesel's
"extreme sports" guy).
The plot of XXX: STATE OF THE UNION is simple and ridiculous on its surface: Darius and his team -- including Zeke (Xzibit), Lola (Nona Gaye), and token "white boys," risk-taking agent Steele (Scott Speedman) and gadget geek Toby (Michael Roof) -- battle the bad Secretary of Defense by hijacking a tank in downtown DC, sneaking onto an aircraft carrier (where he also drives a tank) and a speeding bullet train. Deckert is mad because President Sanford (Peter Strauss) wants to cut the military budget and make friends with everyone, including folks in the Middle East and American inner cities. Old-school Deckert wants to bring democracy by killing all U.S. enemies. And D does the right thing.
But if the outcome is never in question (after much mayhem, the good guys win), D's political position is very unusual in an action movie: he fights for U.S. values and ideals, bringing a mostly black, ragtag militia to stop the official military (on orders from Deckert) from overrunning DC. The sight of DC saved by a hip-hop crew (D quotes Tupac, inspiring the President to do the same) is pretty remarkable. Still, its power-to-the-people optimism is achieved by loud, raucous, predictable action.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
