2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) – Review

Where to watch 2 Fast 2 Furious

2 1/2 Stars

OSCAR nominated director John Singleton goes slumming here into the world of mindless blockbuster sequels and delivers an adequate if unspectacular follow-up to 2001’s monster hit The Fast and the Furious. Picking up directly after the events of the first film, Brian (Walker) is a rogue FBI agent enlisted to go undercover in order to bring down a Miami drug kingpin. Aided by his childhood friend Roman (Tyrese) and beautiful double agent (Mendes), Brian must gain the trust of the criminals and the justice department he embarrassed.

This is probably the best film the producers could come up with after original stars Vin Diesel and Jordana Brewster decided not to return. Instead of replacing them the filmmakers went in a different direction and the film suffers from their absence. Enlivening the mix is the non-stop banter between Walker and Tyrese. It’s amusing and often very funny. A few racing sequences do get the adrenaline pumping, most notably the opening chase and a tag team style competition late in the film. It’s during these segments that director Singleton shows his expansive knowledge of film-making techniques and a technical proficiency lacking in the previous picture. That’s not to say there aren’t some groan-inducing moments here. An asian female character is left with little to do other than appear on-screen to reach a certain demographic, as is the case with the casting of rapper Ludicrious.

2 Fast 2 Furious is the weakest of the Furious series. If it had been a stand-alone film it wouldn’t be bad, however when compared to its predecessor and future sequels it becomes clear that this one is miles behind.

Director: John Singleton
Stars: Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Eva Mendes

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