In a sentenceThe cars are in a hurry, which is more than we can say for the crime plot
Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) races for a new job. Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson) is his partner, and Carter Verone (Cole Hauser) is the criminal figure they have to deal with. Agent Markham (James Remar) and Agent Bilkins (Thom Barry) represent the law, with Monica Fuentes (Eva Mendes) also involved in the proceedings. Brian wants to put his driving to work, but the job involves more than winning a race. He and Roman have to negotiate the criminal business around Verone as well as the competition behind the wheel.
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John Singleton’s racing sequel has an engaging double act in Paul Walker and Tyrese Gibson, but a routine crime plot. The races and the humour make it worth considering, provided suspense is not the priority.
2 Fast 2 Furious is decent entertainment for a racing audience, though the crime story does little to earn anyone else’s attention. John Singleton has a useful pair of leads and a willingness to let the action look faintly ridiculous. We do not need a film like this to be solemn, or even particularly plausible. We do need the scenes between races to keep us interested, and here they depend too heavily on actors making familiar material seem worth another visit.
Paul Walker and Tyrese Gibson are the reason that sometimes works. Their Brian O’Conner and Roman Pearce have enough ease together to make the partnership engaging without requiring much help from the plot. We laughed at Roman Pearce’s irreverence; Tyrese Gibson gives the double act a comic looseness that the criminal business badly needs. There is feeling in the performance as well as cheek, and Paul Walker gives his partner room rather than competing for every bit of attention.
Matthew F. Leonetti’s cinematography is most persuasive around the cars, where the camera’s movement makes the speed feel like something worth watching. The racing gets room to develop, and its willingness to overdo things is part of the pleasure. Bruce Cannon and Dallas Puett edit these stretches with enough energy to sustain that enjoyment. The rhythm is much less secure when the film returns to its crime story, which repeatedly makes us impatient for another race.
David Arnold’s score helps keep the racing buoyant, although its encouragement cannot make the less lively passages compelling. Keith Brian Burns’s production design fares less well in our memory: the cars register more firmly than the places around them. That is a reasonable priority for this film, but the surroundings could use more character. There is enough to look at without much to make us curious about these people’s lives when they are not driving.
Derek Haas and Michael Brandt’s screenplay is the chief limitation, leaning on crime-thriller habits that already feel overworked. Its predictability would matter less if the dialogue consistently had the life that Tyrese Gibson brings to it. Cole Hauser is useful as Carter Verone, bringing charm to the menace and giving the villain some appeal beyond his function in the plot. Even so, the criminal intrigue is unlikely to hold anyone who has no interest in the racing.
The film’s self-awareness is a useful advantage in a genre that can become tiresomely solemn about speed. At 108 minutes, it asks for a manageable slice of an evening, although the business connecting the races could still be leaner. We would choose it for the leads and the driving, with expectations kept firmly at the level of a disposable diversion. If the cars do not interest us, there is little reason to wait for the crime plot to improve.
The reviews lean towards a mixed verdict on 2 Fast 2 Furious: the racing supplies some straightforward entertainment, but the story offers little freshness or substance. Praise clusters around the expanded driving sequences, energetic camerawork and Tyrese’s contribution to the central partnership with Paul Walker. Even several critics who find the sequel shallow enjoy its willingness to be absurd, though enthusiasm for the thrills rarely extends to the familiar crime plot.
The spread is wide, with disagreement over both the action and how the sequel compares with its predecessor. Empire finds the action and dialogue short on excitement, despite seeing promise in Tyrese Gibson. The Guardian is more dismissive, objecting to the loss of social commentary and the reliance on spectacle. Eye for Film provides the clearest counterpoint: it considers the sequel an improvement, crediting Tyrese’s humour and emotional range while still finding the material formulaic.
The review's verdict and specific praise or criticism are unavailable behind the paywall. The visible page identifies a Screen review but provides no evaluative text.
Read the full review →The accessible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. Its metadata frames the film as a mock vehicle test but gives no discernible praise or complaint.
Read the full review →Schager finds the sequel empty but entertainingly self-aware, delivering satisfying mindless thrills. He praises its energetic camera work around the cars and its recognition of its own absurdity.
Read the full review →The review finds the sequel shallow and its story lower-octane, but entertaining enough as loud, dumb fun. It praises the revved-up cheap thrills while lamenting Vin Diesel’s absence.
Read the full review →The critic finds it a satisfying sequel that falls short of the original but keeps the franchise’s engine running. The expanded racing sequences and Cole Hauser’s charmingly menacing villain are particular strengths.
Read the full review →McCarthy finds the sequel an entertaining but less fresh follow-up. He praises the lively chemistry between Paul Walker and Tyrese, while faulting the familiar crime-story conventions.
Read the full review →Part of · 2 of 3
The Driver · not reviewed yetA cooler, leaner crime film for those who prefer driving to explanations.
Taxi · not reviewed yetFrench taxi chases and mismatched partners, with similarly little respect for restraint.
Initial D · not reviewed yetStreet racing puts the drivers’ rivalries and technique ahead of criminal complications.
The Italian Job · not reviewed yetA British caper that gives its cars and criminal teamwork equal attention.
Baby DriverMore tightly choreographed getaway driving, with music determining the rhythm of the action.
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