While this film doesn't exactly live up to the original installment, which starred Vin Diesel, it does have enough action and explosions to call it a decent popcorn flick, but it is not exactly a movie you must own... renting will do just fine.
Instead of picking up where the previous xXx film left off, the sequel simply gives mention to Xander Cage's (Diesel) death and moves forward with the new plotline centered around a group of vigilantes hell-bent on overthrowing the government and NSA Agent Augustus Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson) once again needs a different breed of agent to get to the bottom of the whole ordeal... cue Darius Stone (Ice Cube). As the plot thickens, Stone's ties to those on the wrong side of the law and to those in the car-jacking business play into his advantage as the new xXx.
As you can tell from the plotline this one isn't too deep, and yes, it is primarily cool gadget, fast cars and CGI action driven, but when those things are put together in a relatively cohesive fashion it can be enjoyable, and that is what this movie is... enjoyable.
As far as the DVD features are concerned there are a couple of commentaries, one with the filmmakers, director Lee Tamahori and writer Simon Kinberg, and another with the visual effects boys. On top of that you get a couple of deleted scenes and some decent making of featurettes, the best of which are the storyboard/animatic/final production comparisons, which are all very similar and it is actually quite interesting to watch them side by side.
Overall my suggestion on purchasing this title is a toss-up as it really depends on your desire for popcorn flicks, and B-grade popcorn flicks at that. This film isn't a blockbuster by any means, but it is a good excuse to waste 100 minutes. The overall goal of the film is gadgetry and explosions as I said before, so if acting and complex stories aren't your primary concern then buy away. Otherwise, if you want a night of entertainment where you can turn your brain off this one would make for a good rental... just remember not to turn the brain on at all.