2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)

Directed by: John Singleton | 107 minutes | action, thriller, crime | Actors: Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Eva Mendes, Cole Hauser, Ludacris, Thom Barry, James Remar, Devon Aoki, Amaury Nolasco, Michael Ealy, Jin Auyeung, Edward Finlay, Mark Boone Junior, Matt Gallini, Roberto Sanz Sanchez, Eric Etebari John Cenatiempo, Troy Brown, Corey Michae Eubanks, Sam Maloof, Troy Robinson, Jose Perez

Race films come in all shapes and sizes. A few decades ago there was ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ (1977) and more recently there were ‘Days of Thunder’ (1990) and ‘Driven’ (2001). The last movie proved that Formula 1 doesn’t work in movies. ‘2 Fast 2 Furious’ is like a cross between the first two films mentioned, but completely urban style. ‘The Bandit’ in a fully pimped out racing car, so to speak.

The first scene of ‘2 Fast 2 Furious’ is like a commercial for illegal street racing, but like you see it in computer games like Midnight Club or Need for Speed ​​Underground. Lots of neon, lots of speakers, lots of bright colors and lots of feminine beauty. The race in this scene shows how racing is done in 2003. As a viewer you are literally in the middle of the race. One moment you see the cars speeding right past you, the next the camera slides from car to car. Combined with close ups of faces, eye movements, shifting and accelerating, it’s like a fast-paced video clip that fits in well with the style of the film.

After this tight action, the film unfortunately falls into a familiar pattern with a predictable story. But as the first scene actually shows, the story is secondary to the action. You could even say that the actors are subordinate to the cars in the film, the true stars of ‘2 Fast 2 Furious’.

However, the actors are not just filler. In addition to the street racing itself, we also get to see the atmosphere that surrounds the racers and the crowd. Fortunately, Paul Walker does not have too much dialogue with his monotonous voice. Rapper Ludacris has been hired for this, who has done it all in the film. A large houseboat on a river (where, of course, watercraft races are held) almost naturally next to a garage that houses a custom car shop as we know from MTV’s Pimp My Ride. Only Tyrese Gibson hasn’t been lucky enough to live in a trailer next to a dusty racetrack. He therefore adheres neatly to the law with his ankle bracelet that allows him to be only a few hundred meters from his house. Street racing is illegal, but in these kinds of movies, that little fact can be brushed aside and all you have to do is see how cool it is.

Director John Singleton has heavy dramas to his name with ‘Boyz ‘n the Hood’ and ‘Higher Learning’, but proved with ‘Shaft’ from 2000 that he also simply managed to convey cool on film. With ‘2 Fast 2 Furious’ he clearly takes the ‘Shaft’ tour further than his previously completed artworks. Fortunately, because we don’t have to face a moral dilemma when a heavily tuned racing monster takes extreme turns and jumps over bridges. Just put your mind to zero and watch with popcorn on your lap, you might even be surprised by the story. ‘2 Fast 2 Furious’ is a pleasant racing film without pretensions. But wait at least 30 minutes after watching this movie before getting in a car yourself. You might want to go too fast.