Today’s quick review: 2 Fast 2 Furious. When Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker), an undercover cop turned illegal street racer, gets arrested, he is given a chance to clear his record by helping undercover agent Monica Fuentes (Eva Mendes) bring down Carter Verone (Cole Hauser), a drug smuggler based in Miami. To infiltrate Verone’s organization, he recruits Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson), an old friend and talented driver who blames Brian for his arrest years before.
2 Fast 2 Furious is an action movie and the sequel to The Fast and the Furious. 2 Fast 2 Furious picks up with Brian O’Conner, who has been drawn completely into the life of a street racer. The plot is typical for the crime genre, although it has little to do with the plot of the original film. The main draw of 2 Fast 2 Furious is its impressive set of car stunts, which have been kicked up a few degrees in intensity from the first film.
Dom Toretto has been replaced with Roman Pearce, a driver with a grudge against Brian. Tyrese Gibson’s character is not as strong as Vin Diesel’s, but his reckless methods and strained friendship with Brian O’Conner provide some nice tension. 2 Fast 2 Furious also focuses more on style than the first film, with a larger, more glamorous community of racers and flashier stunts. The changes push the film a bit farther into the realm of fiction than its predecessor without going as far as the action genre sometimes allows.
Watch 2 Fast 2 Furious if you enjoyed the first film and do not mind the indirect nature of the sequel. 2 Fast 2 Furious promises and delivers on high-end cars and impressive feats of driving. The other aspects of the film are adequate by action standards, although Vin Diesel is missed. Skip it if you dislike the action genre or are looking for a film with more substance.
5.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for enjoyable car stunts and good popcorn value.