 When
screenwriter William Goldman said, "nobody knows anything"
in Hollywood, he wasn't kidding. Take 2001's The Fast and the
Furious, a $39 million-budgeted B-movie that mystified Hollywood
pundits when it bolted out of the starting gate with $40 million
in its opening weekend. By the time the Vin Diesel-fueled street
racing flick made its final lap around the domestic track, it
scooped up $144 million total, leading Universal to rush a sequel
into production.
In 2 Fast
2 Furious, things are a little different. Not only does it
have a bigger budget (doubled to around $78 million) and a different
setting (moving from Los Angeles to Miami), but Paul Walker has
a new co-star in rapper-turned-actor Tyrese. He slipped into the
driver's seat after Diesel dropped out over a salary dispute (taking
the original film's director Rob Cohen with him).
In an age
where sequels tend to pale in comparison to the films that inspired
them, at least 2 Fast 2 Furious is about as good as the
first movie in terms of sheer entertainment value. The bad news
is that style once again takes pole position over substance, with
the film more or less resembling a sub-par episode of Miami
Vice. That being the case, 2 Fast 2 Furious is still
a fun thrill ride, thanks to some cool car chases, hot chicks
and great chemistry between co-stars Walker and Tyrese.
Disgraced
former LAPD officer Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) can now be found
kicking back on the mean streets of Miami. He has one chance to
redeem himself when he is recruited by the Feds to expose a crime
lord (Cole
Hauser) in a money laundering operation, but he needs his old
speed-freak pal Roman Pearce (Tyrese) to help him out. It doesn't
take long for Brian and Roman to get in over their heads, and
only a sexy undercover customs agent (Eva Mendes) can help them
cross the finish line with their lives intact.
Where The
Fast and the Furious was grungy and casual, 2 Fast 2 Furious
is slick and more polished. The cars are faster, the women are
prettier and director John Singleton (Boyz 'N' the Hood, Shaft)
keeps the film firmly rooted in "guilty pleasure" territory
(in other words, don't think too much about the plot). In addition,
Paul Walker seems to have a much better grip on his character,
and Tyrese slips into Diesel's shoes with lots of energy and great
comic timing.
As for the
supporting players, Eva Mendes isn't required to do much except
look hot, which is exactly what she does here. She seems to enjoy
flaunting her sexuality as she toys with both Walker and Tyrese,
while Cole Hauser seems to be relishing his role as the film's
token bad guy. It's an underdeveloped cliche-ridden role, but
at least he makes the most of it by being a worthy opponent to
Walker and Tyrese.
2 Fast
2 Furious may seem like the most unnecessary of all sequels,
but at least you don't need to see the first movie to give it
a lap around the cinematic track. With top-notch car chases front
and center here-and in other summer flicks like The Italian
Job and The Matrix Reloaded
-- it's nice to know that movies like 2 Fast 2 Furious
have a while to go before they run out of gas.
|
