2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) Movie Information:

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) Directed by: John Singleton 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) Written by: Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Gary Thompson 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) Cast: Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Eva Mendes, Cole Hauser, Thom Barry, James Remar, Devon Aoki, Amaury Nolasco, Michael Ealy

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) U.S. Distributor: Universal Pictures 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) U.K. Distributor: UIP

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2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) Synopsis:

Speed--it's easy to get and it's as close as the nearest set of high-performance wheels. Brian O'Connor, now a disgraced cop, fell victim to it--and now he's paying the price. As far as his bosses and the FBI brass are concerned, the hothead undercover officer threw one of their largest investigations ever. After losing his badge and any chance of redemption along with it, O'Connor is given one last chance when the feds in Miami need his help to collar Carter Verone, a flashy businessman whose using his import/export business as a cover for an international money-laundering cartel. Customs has had Verone under intense surveillance for over a year with nothing more to show for it than the kingpin's link to illegal street racing. With their backs against the wall and time running out, officials put out a call for O'Connor to do what he does best--talk the talk and push the metal. But the rule-breaking loner has his own demands before taking on the job. He insists on recruiting his childhood friend and ex-con Roman Pearce as his partner. The Feds and Agent Markham offer Pearce, an accomplished criminal with an aptitude for barrier-shattering speed, a deal--work with O'Connor and his impressive rap sheet will disappear. Now, it's last chance for both, ex-con and ex-cop, and their ticket out of disgrace is bringing down Verone. But the lines become blurred once again for O'Connor with the appearance of undercover agent Monica Fuentes, the key to entering Verone's world who may herself be in bed with the shady entrepreneur.

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) Movie Review:

In 2001, a little film nobody had heard of blasted into multiplexes and made car-enthusiasts cheer. The film popped the hood on the whole underground world of street-racing and rocketed bouncer-turned-actor Vin Diesel into the stratosphere. The film was “The Fast & the Furious” and a lot of the movies success had to do with the keen direction of director Rob Cohen and the charisma of the muscle-bound Diesel. When the sequel to the film was green-lit, the key ingredients fell off the well-oiled machine and left co-star Paul Walker to steer the sequel.

Now in 2003, the sequel minus Diesel and Cohen scurries into theatres. Paul Walker returns as his cop-with-a-conscience Brian O’Connor who this time teams with his childhood friend Roman Pierce (Tyrese) to clear their cluttered pasts and takedown a vicious druglord, Carter Verone (Cole Hauser).

“2 Fast 2 Furious” had a brilliant beginning and a fresh-start in which to build something new and insane at the same time. It could have be a great action film if they would have remembered some of the things that made the original work. Basically all the screenwriters would have had to do was find a new angle in which to explore the world of “street racing”. Instead the screenwriters seem to have watched endless re-runs of “Miami Vice” and “Knight Rider”.

The film’s opening does bring the audience back to original film and you once more feel the adrenaline rush as O’Connor squares off on the line. But when the opening sequence ends, it is almost like that’s where the whole franchise stops. There is very little street-racing in this film and that is one of the major problems. That is what the audience was sold on in the first film.

The second mistake is the film collides into a sort of “cop-buddy” formula that is formed between Tyrese and Walker. Are we making a “48 Hours” or “Lethal Weapon” sequel here or a “Fast & the Furious” one? One of the great things about the original film was the tension and dynamic between Diesel and Walker. Sure they respected each other but they were never really close until probably the end.

Don’t get me wrong, there are some things to like in this film. Tyrese is hilarious and great to watch in this film. I really liked the chemistry between Tyrese and Walker but felt a huge kick of déjà vu. I also liked Paul Walker in the leading man role; it is just too bad that the film doesn’t support his ability. Walker has great potential to be a great action star but he needs to find a project that will jettison him into the Hollywood stratosphere.

I was also boggled by how much Cole Hauser reminded me so much of his father, actor Wings Hauser. His look and voice brought forth so many memories. I remember his father from so many of the B-movies I watched when I was in college. Like his son in this film, Wings was a great villain in those films.

I can’t say I was bowled over or overly thrilled with “2 Fast 2 Furious” but I was entertained for most of the film. The thing that made me most shake my head at the film was the film’s conclusion. What an utter-lack-luster finish! I so felt the audience deserved something more action-filled. I do have one question; did anyone die in this action movie?

Keeping those two points in mind, you do have to wonder if we were watching the pilot to a proposed TV series of a hit filmor a sequel to one of the most original action films in recent years.

So Says The Soothsayer.

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2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) review written by: Dean Kish