The therefore sign (∴) exists as moles on the right side of Ice Cube’s face. This makes it all the more symbolic that he was cast in xXx: State of the Union (2005). Vin Diesel didn’t return to star, therefore the film was a flop but it didn’t stop a second sequel. The creators of South Park (Trey Parker and Matt Stone) have a formula for storytelling called “this happened, therefore, but.”

Sixteen NSA agents get killed, therefore the president needs to address the new military bill in the titular speech, but he doesn’t realize that the massacre was part of a conspiracy to belittle his presidency. Some of the deaths were a little too close to home. Therefore, Ice Cube’s character, Darius Stone, is the next option for Samuel L. Jackson’s character, Augustus Gibbons, because the common denominator between them is that some of their comrades were killed. But Darius is in prison, therefore Gibbons needs to break him out because Darius might get a hit placed on him. Toby Shavers is a technology specialist who survived the massacre, therefore Gibbons brings him along. Because both NSA men had orchestrated the breakout, Darius uses it as a way to blackmail them so as to assume control. Therefore, Gibbons agrees but Shavers doesn’t like being called college boy.

All three men need a place to hide, therefore they visit Stone’s former colleagues but their stay is only truly welcomed because of Shavers owning a modified car. Gibbons wants Darius to go on a recon mission but Gibbons previously pulled a disappearing act that led to Darius being put in prison. Therefore, Darius has reservations. An NSA agent named Kyle Steele is investigating the siege that instigated the plan for Augustus Gibbons to rescue and recruit Darius Stone. Steele learns from Agent Meadows that the film’s main baddy, General George Deckert, wanted his SEAL unit to commit arson in order for civilians to flee. Darius refused, so led a mutiny against the four-star general who went on to be the current Secretary of Defense. Therefore, George Deckert decided to have him court-martialed for a 20-year term. Gibbons returns to his house to recover evidence, but the bad guys attack him. Therefore, the evidence is destroyed and this leads to a conversation between himself and the evil general.

Darius needs to put a face to the name of a group from the hard drive that he recovered, therefore he attends a funeral for Gibbons where he finds a literally hot lead in the form of a beautiful woman named Charlie Mayweather. Since she works at the white house, Charlie informs Darius about a soirée where he can find Deckert. Therefore, he goes undercover as a servant where he recognizes bad guys as members of his old SEAL team. But someone recognizes him, and he has to escape. Darius absconds with Charlie to her safe house but is framed for murdering a general who was arguing with Deckert at the soirée, therefore Charlie is batting for the wrong team. The murdered general was at the soirée, therefore Darius has plenty of witnesses against him but no alibis vouching for him. Except for NSA agent Kyle Steele, who learns from Agent Meadows that only half of Darius Stone’s SEAL troop work for Deckert. The other half are missing.

Darius infiltrates an aircraft carrier where he learns that the good members of his SEAL unit are held captive. Therefore, Darius realizes that not everyone is against him. But the proverbial Bond babe alerts the military to the black 007’s presence, therefore he can’t rescue the surprisingly alive Gibbons. Darius tries to inform Steele of Deckert’s subterfuge, but Steele disbelieves him. Therefore, Darius leaves but Steele eventually learns the truth from Deckert during a seemingly friendly conversation. The motley crue of protagonists rob a truck of military hardware, but end up hijacking a tank. Therefore, they siege the Capitol building to foil the bad guys but it’s difficult because they are hiding under the pretext of providing security for the president. The film’s subtitle is State of the Union, therefore we see the president deliver his “state of the union” address, but he barely manages to do so when the siege commences.

Charlie is killed, but the president is kidnapped via a presidential train. Therefore, Darius uses one of his ex-girlfriend’s souped-up cars to “give chase” so to speak. Gibbons is free. Therefore, he flies a helicopter which Steele uses to retrieve the president. But Darius has to jump out after Gibbons derails the train in a destruction which results in the death of Deckert. The truth is buried, so Deckert is remembered officially as a patriot. Darius is officially free from prison but only if he doesn’t interfere with his ex’s life. Having saved the day, he is free to live his life any other way. Darius wasn’t happy with Gibbons initially not being there for him, therefore he refuses to join Gibbons on future missions. Gibbons needs to find the next agent, therefore he engages in a discussion with Steele and Shavers. As for Vin Diesel’s Xander Cage. It’s mentioned earlier on in the film that he was supposedly killed on vacation. Therefore, his absence is no longer a plot hole, but it dashed people’s hopes of there being a sequel where he teamed up with Darius Stone.

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift had benefited from the mistake made by this movie. Despite xXx 2 being primarily marketed to an urban black audience, the screenplay isn’t bad because it was written by Simon Kinberg. He went on to write the screenplays for Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Sherlock Holmes and The 355. He has also written every X-Men sequel after X2 (including Logan). Love them or loathe them, he produced the Deadpool movies along with Elysium, The Martian and Murder on the Orient Express. As such, it makes it easier to appreciate xXx: State of the Union. The movie has social commentary about racism without being preachy or speechy. There’s not so much that it becomes too much of a running gag, but there’s not so little that you can’t connect the dots. It’s what makes a motif work. It’s the difference between Malcolm xXx and simply triple X.