"There are really only two kinds of big-budget action movies: stupid, and good and stupid. Surprisingly, XXX: The Next Level is good and stupid." Ty Burr BOSTON GLOBE "For action fans there is an almost endless series of sequences to keep the tension high, and the only flaw in the sense of ultra-dynamic reality is the President's Bullet Train, which is a great concept but the CGI is not as invisible as it could be." Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE "XXX: The Next Level is a rip-roaringly funny action flick. That may not be what the producers, director, writer and stars intended, but that's what's up there on the screen." Louis B Hobson JAM! MOVIES "XXX is a subversive film, zipping through an action film in minutes to sideswipe audiences with messages about politics and cinema that may make it the surprise of 2005." Steven Snyder ZERTINET MOVIES "Lee Tamahori (Once Were Warriors, Die Another Day) directs a movie that is unashamedly about saving the world using cars, tanks, guns and boyz from the hood." Philippa Hawker THE AGE

"Ice Cube keeps the action-movie franchise alive with a pleasing one-two punch of humor and burly physicality." Kirk Honeycutt HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "Ice Cube's name may appear above the credits, but it's the stunts and special effects that are the star of the second xXx movie. It's easy to see where the money for this big action film has been spent; the dollars are literally strewn all over the screen in an assortment of explosions and xXx size stunts involving cars, trains, boats and planes." Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE "James Bond’s producers aren’t going to like Die Another Day director Lee Tamahori delivering a sleeker, more contemporary thriller than he made for them." Chuck Wilson L.A. WEEKLY "Opens explosively and never lets up, with Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day) in full command of the action and Simon Kinberg an equally astute writer with a flair for linking socko action set pieces with terse characterization." Kevin Thomas LOS ANGELES TIMES "This xXx seems to know exactly how stupid it is, and this kind of self-knowledge helps nudge it toward the guilty pleasure bracket, even if it never quite makes that leap." Chris Vognar DALLAS MORNING NEWS

The Inside Story XXX is back and shock, horror, he's black! How can it be? Well, the word around the traps is that Vin Diesel priced himself out of the role. Into the breach steps Ice Cube the former 'gangsta' of rap turned film star. One of the prerequisite for the role is the ability to have 'attitude' and Ice Cube has plenty of that. "We loved the attitude of the first XXX and we loved making it," says producer Neal H Moritz, "The audience seemed to enjoy it as well. So we decided if we were going to make another one, it had to maintain the same attitude even if it covered different ground than the original." In a departure from the original, "XXX 2 The Next Level" or as its title in the USA, "XXX 2 State of the Union" implies, is set on home soil. "Rather than setting it overseas like the first film, we decided to bring the story closer to home," Moritz said. "We decided on the nation’s capitol as the setting because it would be a strong and timely backdrop. Again, we wanted to keep the same attitude as we had in the original and when we were contemplating our new hero, one name that seemed to embody that spirit was Ice Cube." Ice Cube evidently was quite keen to take up the offer to star in the role of XXX but he was already comptemplating another project with Moritz. "I was a big fan of the first movie," he says. "The stunts were amazing. I was actually in Neal Moritz's office discussing another project when I saw the trailer for the first film. I remember thinking to myself, 'Damn, I should be playing 'XXX'!" Moritz says the role required someone who was in good shape and capable of doing the daring stunts which are a highlight of the film. "There aren't that many actors with both the true sense of the street the role required and the ability to handle the stunts. Cube’s in great shape. He loved the action scenes and looked fantastic doing them." There are many changes in the new "XXX" film but one constant remains; Samuel L Jackson. He's back in the key role of Agent Augustus Gibbons who this time round is a little 'darker'. Is there a message in that. "I'd always envisioned Gibbons as a sort of rebel who happens to be part of the government,” says Jackson. "He believes in the things he's doing but has always been considered an outsider. The fact that he runs this secret organization his own way appealed to me. I guess that's because of my own rebellious nature." Those who are Jackson fans will get to see that rebellious attitude come to the fore in his next role in the film, "Coach Carter". But back to "XXX 2 The Next Level" . Also back for another run, but this time getting far more exposure and a bigger piece of the action is hi-tech whizz kid, Toby Lee Shavers played again by actor Michael Roof. In fact, Shavers spends far more time with XXX than does Agent Gibbons but hey, who wants to give the plot away, eh? Roof, who forged a career as a standup comedian before turning to film, says he enjoyed the chance to play it different this time round. "Toby is still a gadget-wrangler," Roof says. "But he also gets to take part in the mission, a chance to get down with the brothers. I get to drive and shoot and hack into the Department of Defense computer system. I'm totally bad!" Helming the production is "Die Another Day" director Lee Tamahori. "I was attracted by the idea of keeping Sam Jackson's character while changing the agent he has to deal with," he reflects. "I thought this was a wonderfully original and intriguing approach to continuing the XXX franchise. I also like the fact that the action arena was also very different from the original. Here was a real homegrown American story with the villains housed within the corridors of power." Every film in this genre has to have a 'bad guy' and I for one am pleased to see that someone who has made a name for himself in recent times as a baddie got the role as the sneaky, coniving and despicable Secretary of Defense [General] George Deckert. He was a baddy in "Spider-man", "The Clearing" and now two-time Oscar® nominee Willem Dafoe is bad, bad, bad! Not that the 'General' sees it that way. "My character has a world view that is more like a politician than a general," says Dafoe, "and he thinks there’s something terribly wrong with the leadership of the country he loves. Given his background and the resources at his disposal, he does what he can to change the government. Yet, despite this unorthodox approach to the problem, Deckert doesn’t see himself as a subversive. Quite the contrary, adds Dafoe, "He regards himself as a patriot who believes a regime change is the only solution." Fans of XXX needn't worry as to whether the sequel lives up to the original. Far from it. I think most will find "XXX 2 The Next Level" a far more entertaining film than its predecessor. Much of the credit for that goes to Ice Cube who carrying on from the success of his last film, "Are We There Yet?", really does make a great XXX. Producer Moritz believes they've got it right. "We've made a movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat and takes you on a ride that is full of amazing twists and turns. I hope it makes audiences look forward to each subsequent episode of the XXX series with the same kind of excitement and anticipation as I did when I heard about the release of each new James Bond. I literally couldn't wait to see those movies." I think he's right. There will be plenty of cinemagoers and fans looking forward to "XXX 3" if only to see if Ice Cube will be back again. Who knows, unlike the James Bond films which have relied on a stable male in the lead, this formula of a new XXX may create a real draw card. We'll just have to wait and see. Won't we? Crew Bytes "XXX 2 THE NEXT LEVEL" was .......
directed by Lee Tamahori ["Along Came A Spider", "Mulholland Falls", "The Edge", "Once Were Warriors" and "Die Another Day"]; screenplay by Simon Kinberg ["Mr & Mrs Smith", "Fantastic Four" and "X-Men 3"]; costume design by Sanja Milkovic Hays ["The Fast and the Furious", "2 Fast 2 Furious", "The General’s Daughter" and "Cheaper by the Dozen"]; production design by Gavin Bocquet ["Star Wars: Episode I", "Star Wars: Episode 2", "Star Wars: Episode 3" and "XXX"]; edited by Mark Goldblatt A.C.E ["Bad Boys II", "Starship Troopers", "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and "The Last Boy Scout"], Todd E Miller ["Con Air", "Armageddon", "Under The Tuscan Sun" and "Exorcist: The Beginning"] and Steven Rosenblum ["Braveheart", "Glory", "X-Men" and "The Last Samurai"]; cinematography David Tattersall B.S.C ["The Majestic", "The Green Mile", "The Matador" and "Star Wars: Episode III"]; original music by Marco Beltrami ["The Bicyclist", "Hellboy", "Scream I, II & III" and "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines"] produced by Neal H Moritz ["Not Another Teen Movie", "Out of Time", "S.W.A.T" and "Sweet Home Alabama"] and Arne L Schmidt ["Throw Momma From the Train", "Rules of Engagement", "We Were Soldiers" and "XXX"]. Casting About "XXX 2 THE NEXT LEVEL" stars .......
Ice Cube ["Friday", ""Next Friday ", "Friday After Next", "Barbershop", Barbershop 2: Back In Business", and "Are We There Yet?"]; Independent Spirit & Los Angeles Film Critics Award winner Willem Dafoe ["Shadow of the Vampire", "Auto Focus", "Spider-Man ®", "The Clearing" and "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou"]; Emmy Award winner Peter Strauss ["Hail, Hero ", "Soldier Blue", "Nick of Time" and "The Last Tycoon"]; Sunny Mabrey ["A Midsummer Night's Rave" and "The New Guy"]; Nola Gaye ["Harlem Nights", "Ali", "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions"] and BAFTA & New York Film Critics’ Award winner Samuel L Jackson ["Pulp Fiction", "XXX", "Unbreakable" and "Coach Carter"] as Agent Augustus Gibbons. What It's All About

"One of the best sequels ever made without the star of the original... The only reason to criticize is if you just don’t like big, unrealistic action." Fred Topel ABOUT.COM

The National Security Agency's top secret headquarters in Virginia is under attack from unknown assailants. They are after highly sensitive material on the headquarter's computer hard drives. Amid the confusion Agent Augustus Gibbons manages to escape. With national security jeopardizes and sixteen agents dead Gibbons decides it's time for a new XXX and he knows just where to find him. Special Operations soldier Darius Stone is serving a long sentence under heavy guard in a maximum security Military Prison. But not for long. Gibbons offers Stone the chance to enjoy a change of scenery and freedom. It won't be a pardon and it will involve a daring escape. Stone has developed a lot of attitude after being set up by his former commanding officer General George Octavius Deckert. A chance to tackle the corrupt General is all the incentive he needs. Stone may be on the outside, he may be the new XXX, but Deckert is one step ahead of both him and Gibbons. Deckert's planning a coup d'état. He wants to take over the White House. When Gibbons is killed in an explosion, XXX calls in the brothers. They must take the fight to Deckert. The Verdict "Ice Cube steps into the role vacated by Vin Diesel and surprise, surprise, he ain't half bad. As cinemagoers will quickly discover the new XXX is a bad assed agent with an attitude problem. "XXX 2" takes everything to the "The Next Level". It's louder. It's sassier. There's more action, more bodies, more bullets and there's a twist, this time it's the bros comin' to the rescue of us poor white folks. If you're looking for something that's hi-tech, action packed and pure escapism, then indulge yourself with this sequel, "XXX 2 The Next Level." Certainly worth a look at." The Cast

Ice Cube Samuel L Jackson Willem Dafoe Scott Speedman Peter Strauss Xzibit Michael Roof Sunny Mabrey Nona M Gaye John G Connolly Ramon De Ocampo Barry Sigismondi David Rountree Ned Schmidtke Scott Michael Morgan Chris Johnson Thom Gossom Jr Stan Sellers Paul Collins Lisa Joyner Bruce Kirkpatrick Lance Baldwin Andrew Fiscella J. Anthony Brown Bruce Bruce Matt Gerald Dave Kennedy Sarah Mack Jared Chandler Toby Bronson Travis Hinson

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XXX/Darius Stone Agent Augustus Gibbons Gen George Octavius Deckert Agent Kyle Steele President James Sanford Zeke Toby Lee Shavers Charlie Lola Jackson Lt Alabama 'Bama' Cobb Agent Meadows Bull Agent Gen Jack Pettibone Farmhand Young Agent Baptist Preacher Uptight Businessman NSA Director Bill Brody Field Reporter at Fire Police Captain Davis Sharpshooter Guard Webster Maurice Liebo Funeral Commander Presidential Aide Firing Team Commander Tank Commander Tank Gunner

The Crew Directed by Lee Tamahori Characters created by Rich Wilkes Written by Simon Kinberg Produced by Neal H. Moritz & Arne Schmidt Executive Producers Rob Cohen/Derek Dauchy/Todd Garner Original Music by Marco Beltrami Cinematography by David Tattersall Film Editing by Mark Goldblatt/Todd E Miller/Steven Rosenblum Casting by Margery Simkin Production Design by Gavin Bocquet Set Decoration by Hilton Rosemarin Costume Design by Sanja Milkovic Hays Production Manager Debra James Run Time 101 minutes Rated M15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2005 - ILM/Revolution Studios & Columbia Pictures Inc - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2005 - Impact Internet Services & The Movie Pages- All Rights Reserved