Length: 1 hour, 34 minutes
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Website: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/triplex2/
Release Date: 2005-04-29
Cast: Ice Cube, Samuel L. Jackson, Scott Speedman, Peter Strauss, Sunny Mabrey
Director: Lee Tamahori
Screenwriter: Simon Kinberg
WorkNameSort: XXX: State of the Union
Our Rating: 2.00
Few people will probably care that the words of Tupac Shakur are compromised to suit the needs of this Ice Cube vehicle, which takes its spy-vs.-fly-spy action from the James Bond school of high-tech adventures. The supposed quote, "Wars come and go, but my soldiers stay eternal," grabs a laugh several times throughout the movie, as different characters appropriate the lyrics – even the president of the United States, after brave brothers from the raw streets of D.C. come to his rescue after an attempted coup d'etat. In reality, the actual lines from Tupac's "As the World Turns" are: "Money come and go, hoes come and go, foes come and go/ Friends come and go … my soldiers, stay eternal/ Outlaw Immortalz, dedicated/ I send this to black Jesus, only he can feed us." Nonetheless, this actioner aimed at black America does take you for a fast ride, especially if all you need is a parade of tricked-out cars, trucks and tanks. Because there's no believing that Big Daddy Darius Stone – a rather lumpy Ice Cube, who looks like he'd get winded walking up a flight of stairs – could save the country. As I heard some ladies comment after the screening, "He ain't no Arnold Schwarzenegger. But he's OK, you know."
