The one film you’d least expect to be so much fun while at the same time smashing the Bechdel test into pieces is xXx: Return of Xander Cage. But the Vin Diesel-starring vehicle does it with ease. Not only that, but it also celebrates some of the biggest global stars without painting them as a villain. It would be way too easy to look past this film, given that it is not part of a very successful franchise. However, the sequel doesn’t care about any of that. Instead, it raises the bar on absurd stunts and pushes the envelope on logic and physics. So much so that the film actually gets meta and pokes fun at itself. But really, if you look past all of that, you’ll see that it is actually a celebration of global stars and fierce women.

We got a chance recently to sit down with our fellow journalists to talk to Diesel and some of the cast of the film from Donnie Yen, Deepika Padukone, Kris Wu, Ruby Rose, Tony Jaa, and Nina Dobrev to its director, D.J. Caruso. Each of one of them sharing the Diesel’s sentiment and all of them agreeing that it was so much fun to be a part of. Check out what they had to say here below.

A lot of what made Diesel return to this franchise was celebrating heroes from all around the world. “I felt like it was time to introduce to the world a global cast in the way that we have,” said Diesel. “There’s something so cool about the idea of going to other film markets and recruiting their celebrated heroes and incorporating them into this franchise.” He added that he needed to play a character that would get him to smile and laugh again, and that Xander was that character.

Yen compared his experience working on the film to being at a carnival. “I just came in and had fun. I didn’t really think much about it,” said Yen. The actor credits his producing co-star for making him comfortable and said that he was a “great producer.”

UFC champ Michael Bisping credits all the training, from weapons to fight choreography, he received during the film for helping him become the world champ.

Having the UFC fighter may have even helped inspire Diesel to create a new form of martial arts. “We were trying to be really ambitious with this Xander character and in creating something called MXMA, which is something you’ve never heard of,” said Diesel. “The idea is martial arts with a motocross bike. In that sequence, when Xander is fighting, he’s beating you up with his motocross bike.”

But as much as this is a celebration of the international movie stars, the film also celebrates fierce women who have no problem kicking butt and looking very cool at the same time.

“These women are just so unique, different, and special in their own way. From Becky to Serena to Adele to Toni Collette’s character as well. They are so necessary, authentic, and organic as well,” said Rose.

Padukone added, “I think that every woman in this movie is so strong and powerful. That’s what makes this unique, that the women in this film are so strong and intelligent and powerful like women in the world are today.” The Bollywood actress then talked about how she and Ruby Rose worked so well together during one of her favorite sequences and said that they had a great time off screen as well. “She’s the best partner I could have ever asked for,” said Padukone.

xXx: Return of Xander Cage is out now in theaters. You can read our full review of the film here.