2 FAST 2 FURIOUS review

2 FAST 2 FURIOUS is goofy fun. Is it better than THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS, well…

I liked THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS, but recognized that it had all sorts of problems… like how I didn’t really care for any characters, how I hated Paul Walker, how I didn’t like Paul Walker and Jordana Brewster’s relationship at all. Also, I didn’t really care for the story, but I loved the cars and the car scenes and this was a Carsploitation flick, so that is the most important aspect of the film. This was a ‘B’ movie, without a doubt, and it relished in being cheap cheesy fun. And that final semi attempted robbery was frickin’ awesome. That’s just a great highway sequence where you completely feel the speed, the adrenaline and the fear of the situation.

2 FAST 2 FURIOUS has looked like a piece of shit from the trailers for a while now. No Vin Diesel, who was my favorite character from the original. A selection of actors that I didn’t really have any opinion on, but directed by John Singleton – whose SHAFT was quite a bit of fun, but this film doesn’t have the benefits of a Sam Jackson.

It’s strange, when I walked into FAST AND THE FURIOUS originally, I thought I was going to be miserable. Tuesday night, when I walked into 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS – I thought that I was going to be miserable.

The plot is fairly simple... the cops get the drop on Paul Walker - twist his arm into helping to catch bad guy again, but he needs a partner. He recruits his best friend from childhood, who is also a crazy speed loving car driver played by Tyrese. Stuck between asshole cops and asshole bad guys - there's only one thing two guys stuck between a pair of foul assholes can do. Or maybe two or three or four, but I've never been stuck between so many assholes as there are here. But it seems old hat for these two as they line up their angles and aim for the crack... in the plan and well... you don't want it all do ya? Tough, see it.

I wasn’t expecting to love Tyrese’s character as much as I did. He plays an old friend of Paul Walker’s character, that there’s a history between – which of course they’ll work out, but the point is… Tyrese is so good in the film that he actually makes Paul Walker seem alive when they are both on screen. There’s genuine charisma there. In fact… there’s a ton of homo-eroticism between the two.

In the film, they’re technically aggressively heterosexual, but personally I think that’s just covering their true feelings. The only thing keeping these two guys straight is the fear that while Brian O’Conner is polishing Roman Pearce’s rod, that Roman would slug him in the arm and call him, “Fag!” They don’t play their friendship so much as old friends, but like old lovers that never consummated. They’ve got all these tacky comments that come across as jealousy. When Paul Walker is checking out Eva Mendes and Tyrese catches him, he denies it like… he wouldn’t be doing that. What the hell is wrong with just admitting you’re checking out a fine woman like Eva Mendes? Not a thing, but there Tyrese is, always trying to tear down their relation. The way Paul Walker is always keeping his eyes on what Tyrese is doing, and smiling with affection in his eyes – much the same way as when Moriarty looks at me.

It probably reaches full obvious mode in their rasslin’ scene as these two gals are rolling in the dirt completely all over one another, bumping and grinding… getting all dirty, then Thom Barry’s Agent Bilkins just watches with glee… Ah, two grown men feeling each other out. It Really Does Play Like That!

Then there’s the “Blouse” scene.

Suffice to say, 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS is probably one of the best questionable sexuality drinking game movies ever made. Take a drink everytime you think Paul Walker and Tyrese are about to kiss… You’ll get seriously fucked up.

That to the side, this sort of familiarity between two men, is also related to very close friendships, and that works very well. The constant back and forth is very good, and any scene with Tyrese without the blank stare of lust from Paul Walker… he shines. Tyrese is a major star, he’s going to be very big. His charisma in this film is unquestionable. This and BABY BOY are two wonderful roles, it’ll be interesting to see what he does outside of Singleton or MTV.

How are the CAR scenes? No where near as good as the first film. They’re ok scenes, they’re just not as inventive, dangerous or as thrilling as in the first flick. Nothing comes close to the reckless abandon of the highlight scene of the first film. Here though, I have to say I really love the psychedelic warp that happens to the backgrounds that the cars are moving past… beginning at 80 miles an hour.

I used to have an old 1978 Green Cadillac that I drove in High School at speeds exceeding 140 mph, the one time a cop clocked me, I was at 142 mph. “I’m late to school officer!” Hehehe… Anyway, the point is, at 140 mph, my background going around me never started getting all groovy and psychedelic… THOUGH I WISH, but I’d never drive at these speeds on shrooms or acid, and thanks to 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS you don’t have to drive at 90mph on shrooms or acid. You can just sit in a theater on shrooms and acid and go, “Trip…. Peeeee” and get all Pauly Shore with your bad self.

Ok, what about hot women?

There’s all sorts of hot women in this movie. They’re all in highly revealing eye-candy outfits. In particular, Devon Aoki as Suki. She is like a crazy hot Anime chick. She is very scrumdiddliumptious… and that final outfit of hers with the mid – hip high boots was just yum from boot heel to crotch. Make Devon’s hair white and do the live action Taarna movie! Yes please!

The audience I saw this with had a good time, and many of the other critics at the screening gathered in the lobby and out front to talk about how surprised they were that it wasn’t a piece of shit. A very fun flick, too bad the car action isn’t as cool as in the original, but I have to add… I love the two old school muscle cars… they kick those neon Hot Wheels bs cars’ ass! Just the way I see it!