John Singleton gets to helm this second movie in the racing car franchise. He's got his work cut out for him however, with Vin Diesel demurring leaving the director stranded with the dummy like Paul Walker. What follows is fun enough but lacks some of the freshness the original possessed.
We're now in Miami where former police officer Brian O'Conner is now a street racer. After getting arrested after a race, Brian is coerced into helping the police and FBI (represented once again by the laconic Agent Bilkins as played by Thom Barry) to tackle drug baron Carter Verone (Cole Hauser). O'Conner ropes in his old friend Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson) and the pair pose as street racers and gain work as drivers for the crime boss. Things get complicated when Brian starts getting attached to Monica Fuentes (Eva Mendes), the criminal's girlfriend who also happens to be an undercover agent. Can the two racers stay undetected and help bring down Verone?
2 Fast 2 Furious has a paper thin plot and minimal characterisation. Walker is a bad actor but Gibson has potential, even if Roman is written as an utter knob. Mendes has little to do but look slinky in numerous figure hugging outfits and a bikini and the villian is completely generic and uninspiring (although there is a jolting Scarface moment with a prone cop, a rat, a bucket and a blowtorch). Still, is anyone watching this film for any of the above? Probaby not. The franchise is about the cars and they look shiny and pretty and go fast around the bends. In an early race between four cars Singleton seems to be having a ball, blending physical effects, CGI and numerous close ups of eyes and hands furiously changing gears to create an exhilarating experience. This sequence seems to tap him out, however, as the races and chases feel rather tame amd ordinary afterwards. While the first film had an edge of the seat finale with real jeopardy, 2 Fast 2 Furious raids the James Bond toybox adding in ejector seats and a ridiculous car jump onto a boat. Best watched on a quiet night with a belly full of beer, I'd advise.
GK Rating: ***
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