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| 7/7/2003 |
| 2 Fast 2 Furious |
A Movie Review
by Wes Bennett
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| 2 Fast 2 Furious |
| Genre |
Action |
| Starring |
Paul Walker |
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“2 Fast 2 Furious” works because of a blitzkrieg of cars, girls and action. It’s relentless pacing and structure wisely never allows you stop to think about the implausibility's of the story.
The original “Fast and The Furious” was a hit because it shamelessly ripped off the 1991 undercover cop action film “Point Break” substituting race car driving for sky diving, and providing a breakout role for Vin Diesel. It was a classic B movie that showcased an underground culture and centered around the relationship between Diesel and Walker.
Of course everyone wanted the sequel to track down Diesel’s gruff Dominic Toretto, who escaped the long arm of the law after undercover officer, Brian O'Conner let him go.
Diesel supposedly wanted 20 million for a return trip, and director Rob Cohen and just about all of the first film's cast (Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Rick Yune) also have not returned.
Producers recruited capable director John Singleton (who earned an Oscar nomination for directing and writing “Boyz N the Hood”). The question was whether he would be able to overcome the trap of past big budget sequels that were released without the stars who made them famous such as “Speed 2”, without Keanu Reeves or “CaddyShack 2”, without Bill Murray.
The setting switches from L.A. to picturesque, vice-filled Miami. Paul Walker returns as reluctant undercover cop Brian O'Connor, but gruff, brawny Diesel has been replaced with singer/model Tyrese (Gibson).
Federal agents want O'Connor to go undercover as a driver for Miami Drug Lord Carter Verone (Cole Hauser), who plans to transport a large pile of cash down a freeway before leaving the country forever.
I wasn’t sure why he needed to transport this fortune in exotic cars driven at enormous speeds by total strangers, but the plot rarely interferes with the action and makes you forget such questions by hitting you with a barrage of fast cars chases and women.
Sure we miss Diesel. Walker had top billing of the original, but Diesel was its charismatic center, playing a street-racer demigod who had brilliant lines like: "I live my life a quarter mile at a time. For those 10 seconds or less, I'm free."
But all things considered the new actors manage to work some emotional involvement out of mighty thin material. Walker and Tyrese enjoy a kind of warm rapport that makes their boyish banter appealing.
Also fellow undercover cop Eva Mendes provides a great presence: bringing to mind a latino Cindy Crawford. Verone as the villain has a tense scene where he gets what he wants from a Police Detective by torturing him with a ravenous rat placed on over his stomach. The film also gives yet another rapper (Ludacris) a chance to act. He plays the garage owner at the center of O'Connor's race circuit with a ‘fro that rivals the one sported by old school Dr. J.
All of the chases involve an apparently inexhaustible supply of squad cars, the most since the original “Blues Brothers”. While the chases are pretty good, they do not rival the classics of “Bullit”, “The Rock” or “Ronin”.
The film does not break any new ground, but surely no one expected it to. By not taking itself seriously and having a light mood to it, its a fun ride. With the right expectations, “2 Fast 2 Furious” has enough energy and high octane fuel 2 make this 1 film that gives you enough bang 4 your buck. (B-) |
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| "We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then question the manner in which I provide it." |
- Jack Nicholson
A Few Good Men
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Distributed Beers
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| 5 |
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot |
| 4 |
Guinness Draught |
| 3 |
Newcastle Brown Ale |
| 2 |
Bass Pale Ale |
| 1 |
Samuel Adams Boston Lager |
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