2 Fast 2 Furious

One and a half stars

Directed by John Singleton. Screenplay by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas. Released by Paramount Pictures. Rated PG-13 (street racing, violence, language and some sensuality). Running time: 94 minutes.

The cast

Brian O'Connor Paul Walker
Roman Pearce Tyrese
Monica Fuentes Eva Mendes
Carter Verone Cole Hauser
Tej Chris "Ludacris" Bridges

by Michael Drakulich

There is only one reason a sequel to "The Fast and the Furious" could be made without Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez.

Sorry ladies, it's not because of Paul Walker, one of only two leftovers from the original.

It's the cars.

So why go through the motions of putting a story together that doesn’t use them enough? What's infinitely more interesting is the street racing and the culture behind it, and that angle is not even remotely explored here.

The film relies on kinetic energy as its entertainment hook. There is plenty of action, no doubt, but hardly any of it inventive.

In fact, some of the work even borders on the ridiculous. When these drivers hit their nitrous oxide boosters, the camera view from inside the car looking through the windshield has the same effect as Han Solo piloting the Millennium Falcon at warp speed.

Director John Singleton ("Boyz in the Hood," "Baby Boy") uses the street racers as only a jumping off point for a theme that seems only tenuously connected to turbo powered four-door sedans.

It's a tired story of a Miami kingpin using his import/export business for an international money laundering cartel. We are given all the familiar archetypes arranged nicely for our viewing boredom.

Carter Verone (Cole Hauser) is the typical villain who has a sociopathic streak. Customs agents are on to him so he’s hired two hotshot street racers for one more job as he tries to escape capture.

Those two new hires are Brian O’Connor (Walker) and Roman Pearce (Tyrese), both working under cover.

O’Connor is a disgraced former cop after letting go Vin Diesel’s character at the end of the first film. Typically, the cops will use him under threat of prosecution to get Verone because they need O’Connor’s expertise. O’Connor gets a shot at redemption and a clean record out of the deal.

Of course he has to have a partner, so in trots the Pearce character; a former friend to O’Connor and a convict allowed only 100 feet distance from home. He too gets a new start if they get Verone.

Nothing works particularly well because none of the characters are interesting enough to divert our attention away from the cars.

The actors bear some responsibility. Walker does not have nearly the star quality as Vin Diesel and even less ability. He’s reminiscent of a younger Keanu Reeves; awkward, stiff and looks uncomfortable in front of the camera. Most of all his character is inconsistent throughout.

Tyrese as Roman Pearce is a bit better if only for being a little edgier.

But good actors make lackluster material palatable, and neither manages to pull that off.

All of this is rendered irrelevant if the cars — this movie’s raison d’etre — are put center stage.

Actually, what could have been far more interesting is foregoing a script and actors altogether for a documentary on street racing and its culture. We’ve become enamored of reality shows, why not apply it here?

The cars, the clubs the techno rap are all direct descendants of drive-in burger joints, doo-wop and eight cylinder Detroit muscle cars of the 1950s and 60s.

Why not trace this evolution in a non-fiction medium? It’s far more captivating to take real street racers and let them speak for themselves: what draws them to it, how much they spend on their cars, what the race stakes are, what other parts of their lives it affects.

My guess is such a project would have been far more honest and worthy an audience’s time.
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Michael Drakulich is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association. He may be reached at (708) 802-8841 or via e-mail at mdrakulich@starnewspapers.com.