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"xXx: State Of The Union", released as xXx: The Next Level outside of the United States and Canada, is a 2005 action/adventure film, directed by Lee Tamahori. It is a sequel to the 2002 film xXx (pronounced "triple x").
Vin Diesel and Rob Cohen, the lead actor and director of the original had signed onto this film before xXx had opened, but both dropped out. Cohen remained an executive producer.
Two different scripts were made for this film, and the one written by Simon Kinberg was selected. The other script featured a radically different plot, possibly serving as the basis for another sequel. As State of the Union underperformed at the box office, and was trashed by critics (the first installment's reception was mixed), it is uncertain whether any new installments will ever be made.
Plot summary
After the original xXx superspy Xander Cage (played by Vin Diesel) is reportedly killed in Bora Bora (by Lt.Col Cobb's strike team which can be seen in the Director's Cut release), imprisoned former US Navy SEAL Darius Stone (played by Ice Cube) is selected by Agent Augustus Gibbons (played by Samuel L. Jackson) to be the next xXx. Gibbons and his new agent travel 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 (played by Willem Dafoe) whom he once led a mutiny against.
A man is tending an equine farm when he discovers dead bodies, and is killed by an assailant himself. Meanwhile, attacks use special explosives to break into an NSA bunker beneath the equine farm. There, NSA Agent Gibbons fends off the attackers before barely escaping himself. Lt.Col Cobb is later revealed to be responsible for the attack on the bunker.
Later, Gibbons poses as Stone's lawyer and makes a deal with him in prison. Stone, who had been in prison for assaulting Deckert, makes a daring escape. Stone is later told to recover a hard drive from the NSA bunker, while trying to escape Agent Kyle at the same time, and is rescued by Gibbons' assistant, Toby Lee Shavers. Some time later, Gibbons appears to be attacked in his home and killed, with Deckert to covering up the plot. Afterwards, Stone meets up with Gibbons' contact Charlie to get information and go to her safe house, but is set up to look like Stone murdered 3-Star General Pettibone, whom Cobb and Charlie actually killed.
Police arrive, and Agent Kyle enters the house and makes a deal with Stone, while Toby later hacks into the NSA to retrieve Deckert's plans. At some time, Stone is arrested by Deckert's troops aboard an aircraft carrier and discoveres Gibbons is not dead, but being held prisoner by Deckert. Stone is discovered by Charlie, Gibbons orders him to escape and leave him. Before escaping Stone has a run in with Cobb and it is revealed that Deckert is trying to overthrow the President.
Stone along with Toby enlist the aid of some of his former gang members to fight Deckert's force. After carjacking a tank, Stone helps Kyle and some agents infiltrate the Capitol building. After some gunfights (in which Charlie is killed by a liberated Gibbons), Deckert with Cobb abducts the President while he is making the State of the Union Address. They escape on a bullet train.
Stone chases the bullet train with a high-speed luxury car, and after killing Cobb by blowing him up, Stone fights Deckert and lets the president escape via helicopter.
Stone jumps out while Gibbons fires a missile from the helicopter, killing Deckert. Stone jumps out of the train and fires a grenade to cushion the impact.
The President awards Agent Kyle and the Unknown Soldier (Stone) as Stone goes back to his lifestyle. Deckert receives full honours at his funeral, somewhat to Stone's disgust. Wikipedia |
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