"2 Fast 2 Furious" (which is a horrible title, by the way) isn't Shakespeare. Of course, no one walking into "2 Fast 2 Furious" is expecting Shakespeare, nor do they want it. Like the original, "The Fast and the Furious," this is a movie that's mindless, escapist fun. Leave your thinking caps at home and enjoy the ride. You can spend hours pointing out the movie's many flaws, but that's also part of the fun. Fine, the movie is a piece of shit, but hey, I had a good time watching it.
Part of the reason I wanted to see this movie was because it was shot in Miami. I hate the weather here (there are no seasons in Miami, just different degrees of summer), and I'll eventually move elsewhere because of it, but since I was born and raised in this city, I have a certain affection for it. I feel a certain level of pride when a big movie comes out that was shot in Miami, and "2 Fast 2 Furious" makes the city seem pretty damn cool.
As everyone probably knows already, Vin Diesel isn't in this film. As it turns out, the movie doesn't really need him. He's replaced by actor/model/singer Tyrese (this is his second starring role in a feature film, his first being "Baby Boy"), and I gotta tellya, Tyrese does a hell of a job. He has a commanding presence, and he's got some acting skill, so after a few minutes of seeing him onscreen, you pretty much forget about Vin Diesel. As for Paul Walker, he's back, and though he gets top billing in both films, he once again gets upstaged by his co-star. I have nothing against Paul Walker, but when he gets cast alongside these larger than life actors, he's gonna look like the sidekick, even if his name is the first one in the credits. The two of them work well together, and they have a good camaraderie. Also, whether intentional or not, there seemed to be some homoerotic undertones. Maybe I'm wrong, I dunno. Hmmm...
Eva Mendes (Denzel's girlfriend in "Training Day") is also in the movie, and she plays Paul Walker's love interest. She's pretty good, and she's definitely a beauty, but a lot of attention is taken away from her because of the presence of Devon Aoki. If you don't know her name, you've probably seen her face, because it's been on the cover of countless magazines lately. She's got a truly exotic look, and to say that she's visually striking is an understatement. Her father is Rocky Aoki, the owner of Benihana Restaurants, so I imagine her life is pretty good. As for her acting, well, I dunno. I wasn't paying attention. In a movie filled with eye candy, Devon Aoki is definitely the sweetest of the bunch.
That was horrible. Sorry 'bout that.
The villain in the movie is played by Cole Hauser (he's buddies with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, and he was in "School Ties" and "Good Will Hunting" with them... interestingly enough, he was in "Pitch Black" with Vin Diesel), and though he doesn't look like your typical movie villain kingpin, he's good in his role. There's also a role for rapper Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, and he's funny to watch. He's also a pretty lucky bastard, 'cause in about half of his scenes, he shares the screen with Devon Aoki.
"The Fast and the Furious" was directed by Rob Cohen, and after the success of that movie, he and Vin Diesel went off to do "XXX" together. Well, like his buddy Vin, he decided not to take part in "2 Fast 2 Furious." Instead, John Singleton directed the film, and I'm impressed with his work as an action director. His previous films are "Baby Boy" (where he worked with Tyrese), "Shaft," "Rosewood," "Higher Learning" (where he worked with Cole Hauser), "Poetic Justice," and "Boyz N the Hood," and though "Shaft" was sort of an action flick, "2 Fast 2 Furious" is a TRUE summer action flick, ya know? John Singleton did a kickass job with this movie. As for the script, it was written by Michael Brandt & Derek Haas (their feature film debut as writers, though they helped write a TV-Movie called "Invincible" that had Mel Gibson and Jet Li as executive producers), with a story by Gary Scott Thompson (he helped write "The Fast and the Furious" and "Hollow Man"). Needless to say, the script is no work of art, but it does it's job of providing an excuse for all the cool shit you see.
I like this movie, and I make no apologies for it. For all intents and purposes, it's a bad movie, but for a mindless escape from the world, it's perfect. "2 Fast 2 Furious" is fun and entertaining. Vroom vroom. Miami, BABY!!!
Scale of 1-10: 8