xXx: Return of Xander Cage

is a big, dumb hit of fun that has all the strengths and weaknesses you would expect from this third installment in the xXx series.

If you don't know the series, don't worry; you'll be fine, because the film gives you more than enough background.  The basic idea is that a super-secret government agency, led by Samuel L. Jackson, recruits extreme athletes as secret agents.  The first was Xander Cage, Vin Diesel's character.

The first movie was the most fun of the group, because the concept was new and the settings were loud and silly.  This one is a close second.  The forgettable second film is just that, forgettable, but Ice Cube does deliver a few fun silly moments in it.

The strengths are what you see in the trailer:  pretty people, insane stunts, tons of action.  The weaknesses are also what you would guess:  acting and basic storytelling.

If I haven't mentioned it lately, I should note that I try to take each movie for what it is.  If it's a big, dumb, action flick, I settle in to enjoy that.  If it's a nuanced character film, I enjoy that.  I review films in terms of those goals, not by an absolute standard.

As a big, dumb action film, this latest xXx installment isn't stellar, A-class entertainment, but the consensus of the group that saw it with me--a consensus I agree with--is that it was big enough and fun enough to be well worth seeing.  We all had a good time.

I suspect if you approach the movie the same way, you will, too.