History YMMV / XXx

** Cage at one point appears trapped in a dingy and dark holding place chained from above by his wrists. Vin Diesel winds up in a similar situation in ''[[Film/TheFastAndTheFurious Fast Five]]'' '''and''' ''Film/TheChroniclesOfRiddick''.

* ShallowParody: The first movie 'parodied' the ''Film/JamesBond'' TuxedoAndMartini spy model by having an NSA agent in the opening switching his spy suit for a tux while on the run from the bad guys. He then gets assassinated when he [[TooDumbToLive tries to dissappear into a rock concert actually held by the bad guys]], because he can't blend in with the crowd. While the Bond movies did popularize this trope, Bond himself was never dumb enough to try something like this, and always dressed for the occassion.
* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The "X-treme" aesthetic from the early 00's gets sold ''really'' hard. It had long worn out its welcome by the time the sequel rolled around.
* UnexpectedCharacter: Fans were surprised to realise that in a recent ad for ''Return of Xander Cage'', [[spoiler:Darius Stone, from the sequel ''Film/XXxStateOfTheUnion'']] will be appearing in the film, due to the fact that the first sequel wasn't well-receieved by critics or fans.

* UnexpectedCharacter: Fans were surprised to realise that in a recent ad for ''Return of Xander Cage'', [[spoiler:Darius Stone, from the sequel ''Film/xXxStateOfTheUnion'']] will be appearing in the film, due to the fact that the first sequel wasn't well-receieved by critics or fans.

* UnexpectedCharacter: Fans were surprised to realise that in a recent ad for ''Return of Xander Cage'', [[spoiler:Darius Stone, from the sequel ''Film/xXxHeadOfTheState'']] will be appearing in the film, due to the fact that the first sequel wasn't well-receieved by critics or fans.

* UnexpectedCharacter: Fans were surprised to realise that in a recent ad for ''Return of Xander Cage'', [[spoiler:Darius Stone, from the sequel ''Film/XXxHeadOfTheState'']] will be appearing in the film, due to the fact that the first sequel wasn't well-receieved by critics or fans.

*** That scene features Vin Diesel trapped in a dingy and dark holding place chained from above by his wrists. He winds up in a similar situation in ''[[TheFastAndTheFurious Fast Five]]''.
*** '''And''' ''Franchise/TheChroniclesOfRiddick''. Speaking of which, Cage says he doesn't want to sell otu and make a video game. Diesel was later heavily involved in the production of [[VideoGame/EscapeFromButcherBay the first TCOR video game]]. The studio he created made both this film and that one.
** Creator/SamuelLJackson as the [[Film/TheAvengers2012 disfigured leader of a secretive government organization.]] Who recruits [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Groot]].

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The "X-treme" aesthetic from the early 00's gets sold ''really'' hard in the first movie. It had long worn out its welcome by the time the sequel rolled around.

*** '''And''' ''Franchise/TheChroniclesOfRiddick''.

** Creator/SamuelLJackson as the [[Film/TheAvengers disfigured leader of a secretive government organization.]] Who recruits [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Groot]].

* HilariousInHindsight: Danny Trejo menaces Cage with a Film/{{machete}}.
** That scene features Vin Diesel trapped in a dingy and dark holding place chained from above by his wrists. He winds up in a similar situation in ''[[TheFastAndTheFurious Fast Five]]''.

** Creator/SamuelLJackson as the [[Film/TheAvengers disfigured leader of a secretive government organization.]] Who recruits [[GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Groot]].

** Creator/SamuelLJackson as the [[Film/TheAvengers disfigured leader of a secretive government organization.]]

** However, try picturing any of the Bonds (save for perhaps the one that came after this movie, Daniel Craig) at that concert. All of them, especially Connery and Brosnan, would likely have stuck out like a sore thumb even ''more'' if they'd been dressed appropriately. Xander's innate look but, more importantly, his ''manner'' are vital ability to blend in with this set. The tuxedo is outer trappings, it's as much the fact that he looks absolutely flummoxed by being in a rock concert in a bar that makes the doomed agent stand out. So the parody's not as shallow as it could be (there ''were'' people in suits at the party, disheveled though they might have been).
** Also, this may be a homage to very realistic British 'Sandbaggers' series that was once called 'a show about people in suits dying in Prague' and it's popular tagline (often used in-universe) was 'It's not James Bond'. Despite all over-the-top actions, infiltration of Anarchy 99 by Xander Cage is much more solid tradecraft than sending a guy looking like 'Romeo agent' (seducer, high-roller) to infiltrate an organization resembling a biker gang.

* ContestedSequel: ''State of the Union''.

* {{Sequelitis}}: ''State of the Union'' has been widely considered to be a terrible film than the original.

** SamuelLJackson as the [[Film/TheAvengers disfigured leader of a secretive government organization.]]

** However, try picturing any of the Bonds (save for perhaps the one that came after this movie, Daniel Craig) at that concert. All of them, especially Connery and Brosnan, would likely have stuck out like a sore thumb even ''more'' if they'd been dressed appropriately. Xander's innate look but, more importantly, his ''manner'' are vital ability to blend in with this set. The tuxedo is outer trappings, it's as much the fact that he looks absolutely flummoxed by being in a rock concert in a bar that makes the doomed agent stand out. So the parody's not as shallow as it could be.

*** '''And''' ''ChroniclesOfRiddick''.

** That scene features Vin Diesel trapped in a dingy and dark holding place chained from above by his wrists. He winds up in a similar successor in ''[[TheFastAndTheFurious Fast Five]]''.

** That scene features Vin Diesel trapped in a dingy and dark holding place chained from above by his wrists. He winds up in a similar successor in ''[[TheFastAndTheFurious Fast Five]]''.

* HilariousInHindsight: Danny Trejo menaces Cage with a Film/{{machete}}.

* HilariousInHindsight: Danny Trejo menaces Cage with a {{machete}}.