2 FAST 2 FURIOUS

By: Abbie Bernstein
Review Date: Friday, June 06, 2003

Let's start by being fair. The most important aspect of 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS, a sort-of sequel to the 2001 hit THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS, comes off just fine. In other words, the cars look terrific and move very fast, sometimes performing thrilling stunts, which is the primary concern of this film's audience. Most films don't have this many hot-looking cars driving at such speed and accomplishing such complicated feats, so if this is what somebody is looking for in a film, 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS delivers.

However, on other levels, 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS fails, and not in minor ways. This isn't just a disappointing sequel, but rather a feature film that is repetitive and trite even by the standards of a syndicated TV buddy action pilot, let alone by the reasonable expectations for a theatrical release.

Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker), last seen walking away from his job as an undercover cop after allowing the ace truck hijacker played by Vin Diesel to escape (the thief had become Brian's mentor/best friend), is now street racing in Miami. He is reluctantly brought in by the cops and the Feds to entrap local drug lord Carter Verone (Cole Hauser), who is shopping for fast drivers. Brian refuses the partner the Feds want to force on him, insisting instead on his childhood friend, expert wheel man Roman Pearce (Tyrese), who we meet driving in a demolition derby in Barstow. Roman has recently been released from prison after three years, blames Brian for his arrest and wants nothing to do with the whole business, but he too is more or less blackmailed into it. Can the friendship be repaired? Will Brian fall for the beautiful U.S. Customs agent (Eva Mendes), under deep cover as Verone's girlfriend? Can they foil the evil drug lord's money-laundering scheme? Will there be plenty of excuses to drive at mind-blowing speeds?

The cars and

driving stunts are really impressive, and a lot of people really won't care about the rest. However, 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS doesn't have the funky energy of a film that recognizes it's squarely playing by genre traditions but wants to have a good time the filmmakers seem to feel that the stretches between races are filler and can't bring themselves to give these scenes life. Director John Singleton and writers Michael Brandt & Derek Haas, working from a story by Brandt, Haas and Gary Scott Thompson, are sufficiently professional that 2 FAST avoids being so bad that it's funny it's just unimaginative and dull. The first film had both the hot cars and the charisma of Diesel's character exerting a powerful pull on Brian's soul. Here Brian's conflicts are token the story never gives him any real moral challenges (he anguishes over choices that have obvious, preordained conclusions) and the conflict/camaraderie between Brian and Roman is seldom lively enough to be diverting.

2 FAST 2 FURIOUS is good at high speeds, but stalls out completely whenever the wheels stop turning.

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