Tanya Batson- Savage, Freelance Writer
Ice Cube in a scene from the movie 'XXX: State of the Union' - CONTRIBUTED
ICE CUBE is a very dependable actor. He's dependable because he knows his limits and so far has made no attempt to push them. So, whether in Boyz 'n the Hood, Friday or Barbershop, he has been playing the same character. All that changes is the level of gangster life that he endorses. This is good, because he does the role well enough.
Indeed, he probably deserves more kudos than he gets for these roles because Ice Cube looks a little like a teddy bear. We know that from his days of spouting gangsta rap he has enough credibility as a gangsta, but he still looks a little like a teddy bear- a teddy bear with a scowl, but a teddy bear nonetheless.
So now, Ice Cube is the new XXX of XXX: State of the Union. Of course, the new XXX is not very different from the old XXX. All that has changed is that Ice Cube is desperately trying to fill Vin Diesel's shoes. Those shoes are pretty big ones because Ice Cube unfortunately has none of the charisma that Diesel does (and those bulging biceps and gravely voice do not hurt either).
The role of August Gibbons is another of those mediocre roles that Samuel Jackson takes on and gets away with because he is Samuel L. Jackson and he has such presence on the screen. Though they have softened the burn scar that he sported in the first flick, nothing much has changed.
SAVING THE PRESIDENT
Ice Cube plays Darius Stone the man recruited by August Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson) to replace Xander Cage (Diesel). Gibbons selects Darius Stone because he claimed that for this mission, saving the president, they need to go "way off the radar". Unfortunately the movie itself never took that advice. It sat happily somewhere in the middle of the radar fortunately never falling below it, but never attempting to rocket off it either. The result is that State of the Union is an entertaining flick but certainly is not breath defying.
State of the Union contains all the elements that made the first one popular but offers nothing new. There are beautiful fast cars (which by themselves make the movie worth watching) that help to create many chase scenes and allow the movie to seem as though it is moving fast. Additionally, there is more than enough loud rap music to drown out the fact that the dialogue is not that interesting. There are a few funny quips and no more.
Nonetheless, it's not a bad joy ride, especially because it is filled with some very cool stunts, which like the first XXX had their genesis in other movies. It's the kind of car you might want to take for a spin, but wouldn't want to take home as your own.
State of the Union is exactly what you would expect in a sequel. It's a rehashing of the original, to see what else can be squeezed from it and while some okay stuff drips out, it lacks the zest of freshly squeezed adrenaline.
