HOLLYWOOD—It’s hard to believe that it has been over 15 years since action-star Vin Diesel starred in the flick “XXX.” After the so-so performance of the 2005 sequel, “XXX: State of the Union” starring Ice Cube, the franchise is back with Vin in the driver seat. However, just because Diesel is back does not mean that “XXX: The Return of Xander Cage” is a massive hit.

One might ask, what is the biggest problem with this third installment in the franchise? It has highs and it has lows. The narrative sees Xander recruited, after being under the radar for years by the CIA to retrieve a device that has the capability of turning satellites into dangerous war missiles. The opening sequence of the movie is epic.

We see the return of NSA Agent Augustus Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson), in a scene that is classic if you ask me. That ‘moment’ leads to a chain of events that finds Xander personally recruited by CIA Agent Jane Marke (Toni Collette), who is desperate to retrieve the mysterious device that has fallen into the hands of a group of talented fighters led by Xiang (Donnie Yen).

That is the one element that I found fun about this movie; the fight sequences and stunts are indeed impressive, but the narrative hampers what the movie could be. It’s a typical cat-and-mouse chase, where the protagonists and villains are equal adversaries, but there is nothing inventive happening here. That is frustrating because the potential is there.

The script fails to utilize all the characters that seem to play ‘distinct roles’ and that is it. We see a waste of talent from actors and actresses that include Deepika Padukone, Kris Wu, Ruby Rose, Tony Jaa, Nicky Jam and Rory McCann. I mean besides these characters utilizing their one-of-a-kind skills, they have not much to do, but wait for Xander to tell them what to do next. That’s no fun for the viewer people.

Director D. J. Caruso who helmed the thrillers “Disturbia” and “Eagle Eye” does his best with the script that is presented to him. The biggest problem spectators will face is the mundane moments. “XXX” has a strong opening, a weak middle section and a high-octane climax and ending.  If the middle portion of the narrative could be tweaked to deliver some sort of plot, an intriguing aspect, I could deliver the movie a solid approval, but you can’t overlook boredom as a movie fanatic.

The ending delivers quite a few surprises and moments that will indeed leave fans of the franchise on the edge of their seat, not to mention a few unexpected cameos and some double crosses that will heighten the drama. “XXX: The Return of Xander Cage” is not the best action-flick I’ve seen in recent months, but it does what some action flicks fail to do: it delivers plenty of action and stunts for fans to talk about.