Viewed on its own trashy terms, it succeeds brilliantly.
XXX: State of the Union (2005)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:135
Fresh:22
Rotten:113
Average Rating:3.8/10
Consensus: Even more absurd and implausible than the first XXX movie.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for sequences of intense action violence and some language.
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Theatrical Release:Apr 29, 2005 Wide
Box Office: $26,082,914
Synopsis: Ice Cube replaces Vin Diesel for this hard-bangin' sequel which favors fists, cars, and snooping over the original's heavy dose of extreme sports stunts. NSA agent Gibbons (Samuel Jackson, back... Ice Cube replaces Vin Diesel for this hard-bangin' sequel which favors fists, cars, and snooping over the original's heavy dose of extreme sports stunts. NSA agent Gibbons (Samuel Jackson, back from the original) finds his group under attack by well-armed, well-informed combatants, forcing him to activate a new XXX, Darius Stone (Cube), an old Navy Seal buddy currently cooling his heels in an army prison. It turns out there's a plan to whack the president (Peter Strauss) and a deranged secretary of defense played by Willem Dafoe is behind it. What's more important is the cool way Darius knows how to land a speeding boat on a bridge, then walk away in slow motion as it blows up behind him. Other great scenes include a tank battle on an aircraft carrier and a race with a bullet train that makes THE FRENCH CONNECTION look like a turtle race. There's some hilarious dialogue, such as when Darius recruits his old D.C. car-jacking buddies to ride into battle against the corrupt militia, leading to the "first tank-jacking in history." Scott Speedman plays a sympathetic Fed; Lola Jackson and Sunny Mabrey are the sexy chicks. There's lots of greal looking cars, cool gadgets, and pumpin' rap-crunk music. Director Lee Tamahori also helmed James Bond's DIE ANOTHER DAY and the 1997 thriller THE EDGE. [More]
Starring: Ice Cube, Samuel L. Jackson, Scott Speedman, Peter Strauss
Starring: Ice Cube, Samuel L. Jackson, Scott Speedman, Peter Strauss, Sunny Mabrey, Willem Dafoe, Lola Jackson, Xzibit
Director: Lee Tamahori
Director: Lee Tamahori
Screenwriter: Simon Kinberg
Producer: Neal H. Moritz, Arne Schmidt
Composer: Marco Beltrami
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Get This Movie
Reviews for XXX: State of the Union
XXX: State Of The Union is an action movie for liberals, and as far as empowerment fantasies go, it's a hoot.
...remains nothing more than a nonsensical and noisy diversion that wallows in its glossed-over big-budgeted B-movie banality.
...an unimaginative, derivative, and ultimately dull riff on the Bond series.
Not only is Cube AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, he also our fattest (note: not “phatest”) action hero. They should have named his character XXXL.
Aims low and hits the bull's-eye with enough firepower to sink the Bismarck.
Ice Cube makes an appealing lead and no-one ever mentions that he might be a little on the tubby side to really cut it as an action hero.
The result is so infantile it might as well be based on the doodles of 8-year-old schoolboys.
XXX: State of the Union falls flat because Lee Tamahori directs the action scenes with the grace of a bull in a china shop.
It may sound strange to say that this is another boring action film, but it’s true.
...panders to African-American audiences, giving them white caricatures no better than the mammies and bucks of Hollywood's segregated days.
As for female characters, in the xXx franchise, there are only two types of women: the ones with big breasts, and the ones with even bigger breasts.
As for female characters, in the xXx franchise, there are only two types of women: the ones with big breasts, and the ones with even bigger breasts.
Is it too late to toss Ice Cube's name into the hat in the new James Bond sweepstakes? I'd be down with that.
one of the most uninspired and misconceived big-budget action flicks I’ve ever had to sit through.
Latest News for XXX: State of the Union
July 21, 2008:
XXX3 to Revive Vin Diesel
The producers of the XXX franchise made every effort to remove Vin Diesel from the series. Now, director Rob Cohen and Diesel have sat down with Revolution Studios' Joe Roth to... More...
January 10, 2008:
Box Office Guru Preview: Captain Jack and Captain Morgan Set Sail
For the first time in three weeks, studios will pack a Friday with plenty of new releases as four films open or expand nationwide giving the box office chart a major shakeup.... More...
April 05, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: "Grindhouse" Prepares for Easter Carnage
Easter weekend sees four new wide releases hopping into the marketplace aiming to give the spring box office a boost. More...
August 17, 2006:
Critical Consensus: "SOAP," "Material Girls" Not Screened; "Accepted" Denied; "Sunshine" Shines
This week at the movies, we've got snakes.... on a plane ("Snakes on a Plane," starring Samuel L. Jackson), slackers on a campus ("Accepted," starring Justin... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- XXX: State of the Union at Rotten Tomatoes
- XXX: State of the Union at IGN
- XXX: State of the Union at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

Hollywood.com ponders whether or not an animated film could win Best Picture.

Richard Corliss previews the season's best offerings and hottest tickets.

The AV Club's Mike D'Angelo airs his beefs with Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!







