“Going abroad” is generally a very emotional issue for us Indians. Whether it’s for shaadi, studies or just sight-seeing, it signifies a certain growth and success that all must aspire to.
So dear countrymen, it’s time to cheer for our own desi Deepika Padukone for making it big in pardes! She has finally done it – her Hollywood debut with full pomp and show.
Also, to put all those sneaky doubts to rest.
Deepika’s is not a blink-and-miss role (read: Irrfan Khan in Spiderman). She has been given significant screen time and she makes the most of it!
Let’s be honest. The only reason we are so excited about xXx and the Return of Xander Cage is because of Ms Padukone.
Powerful in the action sequences, gorgeous in her Dominatrix avatar and delivering her dialogues fully marinated in her native accent, this is her strikingly assured début. Also her chemistry with Vin Diesel is electrifying, who seems to be enjoying himself clearly in a territory he is comfortable in.
Vin Diesel as Xander Cage comes back from hibernation on the instructions of his mentor played by Samuel L. Jackson – coz you guessed it right – to “save the world”.
With praises such as “we need someone who walks into a tornado and comes out the other side as if it was just a breeze” and girls falling all over him, Diesel pumps up his Fast and Furious quotient.
Director DJ Caruso has his “to do” list cut out for him and he does a decent job of trying to make as many people happy as he can.
For adrenaline addicts, there are enough car and bike chases sometimes on land and at other times on water, martial arts and sharp shooting snipers on display, all guns blazing, literally and metaphorically, while people jump out of aircraft and free fall on their targets.
It’s a wafer-thin plot where the bad guys are dropping satellites and killing innocents, while Xander Cage and his hand-picked army try to retrieve what looks like a hard disk called Pandora.
Only we are not quite sure who the nice guys are.
Apart from Diesel and Deepika, Chinese actor Donnie Yen has some time to leave an impact. As for the racially diverse cast – Thai star Tony Jaa, Australian Ruby Rose and Bulgarian-canadian Nina Dobrev – all play cardboard cut-outs, but manage to imbue it with enough swag.
xXx: Return of Xander Cage isn’t spectacular in its idea or execution.
I give it 2.5 QUINTS out of 5.
But Deepika Padukone is reason enough to go watch it.
There are moments when you feel the camera lingers on her face for a tad too long, but then who is complaining! It is after all a huge “vin” for our very own Mastani.
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