Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

2 Fast 2 Furious Blu-ray Movie Review

2 shallow 2 repetitive.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 22, 2009

All right, let's see what this thing can do.

For every Aliens, for every Terminator 2, there are dozens of 2 Fast 2 Furious. Sequels to films like The Fast and the Furious are a tricky business; fans expect more of the same, but at the same time demand something that spices up the franchise, takes it a step further, and ups the ante in the action. 2 Fast 2 Furious succeeds in that regard, but it also dismisses the more abstract qualities that made its predecessor such a fine movie. There's no heart to this picture and no real reason for it to exist outside of the movies-as-business world. It neither sees any growth of the character(s) that make a return appearance nor does it purposefully expand upon the world in which they exist. 2 Fast 2 Furious delivers all of the superficialities of the first film and does one-up it in that regard, but at the expense of the film's soul where instead lies a vacuous space yearning to be fulfilled. Get James Cameron on the horn.

That's just a little bit more than the law will allow.

Former undercover L.A. police officer Brian O'Conner (Walker) is no longer in the law enforcement business. He's moved to Florida where he earns his keep by winning street races against opponents eager to wager thousands of dollars on their skills behind the wheel and their investments under the hood. Soon, O'Conner is recruited by the authorities to infiltrate the world of crime boss Carter Verone (Cole Hauser, Pitch Black) and feed information back to the law. O'Conner recruits his friend and parolee Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson, Four Brothers) to act as the second driver in the operation with the promise that both their records will be wiped clean upon completion of the mission. They'll join U.S. Customs agent Monica Fuentes (Eva Mendes, Hitch), herself already deep undercover and posing as Verone's girlfriend. It will take Walker's background as a law enforcement officer, Pearce's street smarts, and both of their driving skills to convincingly infiltrate the crime ring to complete their mission and come out alive.

2 Fast 2 Furious is a classic example of a sequel that doesn't do much to differentiate itself from the original. While it introduces new characters and deletes some old favorites, the crux of the story remains the same, centered around the world of street-racing and undercover infiltration into a criminal organization. Of course, the action and the racing scenes have been elevated in style and intensity, but the story has taken a large step backwards. The characters are particularly dull, often reciting bland and sometimes laughably predictable dialogue. Walker's character remains the best of the bunch; he carries over much of the same charisma he brought to the role in the first film, but his weaker supporting cast and a lackluster story fail to elevate the performance. Tyrese Gibson is intriguing as his pal Roman; he brings plenty of energy and wit to the role, but otherwise, the remainder of the supporting players fail to elicit much of a response. 2 Fast 2 Furious delivers exactly what is expected of it; it's not meant to be anything more than a popcorn-munching good time. Unfortunately, it just never captures the magic of the first, a film that, in its own right, is a loud and adrenaline-packed romp through the world of high-speed and high-stakes racing, but that film manages to pack a good story and even better characters into the action. 2 Fast 2 Furious just has too much of a generic feel to it, playing as a rehash of the original with but a few new tricks up its sleeve.

2 Fast 2 Furious Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

2 Fast 2 Furious pulls into Blu-ray with an excellent 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. The print is crystal-clear, free of any blemishes, with a thin layer of film grain enhancing the image. Detail is extraordinarily sharp and colors are equally vibrant, jumping off the screen in most every scene. The image is sufficiently rendered so as to offer an eye-catching "popping" effect that allows the image to come to life in many of the brighter daytime sequences. Like its predecessor, the action often shifts between bright, sun-drenched outdoor daytime sequences and dark nighttime segments. Both are equally good, with the darker shots offering deep, inky blacks and plenty of visible detail in the darker corners of the screen. Flesh tones also appear accurate throughout the picture and in every lighting condition.

2 Fast 2 Furious Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

2 Fast 2 Furious races onto Blu-ray with another hard-hitting DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack from Universal. Similar to the first, this track is highlighted by tremendous levels of bass and sweeping sound that maneuver effortlessly all across the soundstage to great effect. Bass is positively punishing at reference volume, no matter its source. The crunching of fenders, the clanking of metal, and the squealing of tires during the film's most intense racing scenes all come through with clarity and precision. Surround speakers are used to great effect throughout; the listener becomes positively engulfed in the film's raucous yet amazingly clear sound design. Topped off by pitch-perfect dialogue reproduction, 2 Fast 2 Furious makes for another reference-quality Blu-ray soundtrack.

2 Fast 2 Furious Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

2 Fast 2 Furious comes to Blu-ray with a long list of extras. First is a commentary track with Director John Singleton. The director delivers a rather dry track, spending much of the time recounting the on-screen action with the occasional insight into the background of the characters and the making of the film. Fans will enjoy this one, but it's not an essential listen. Fast Females (1080i, 7:54) features a look at the roles of the girls of both The Fast and the Furious and 2 Fast 2 Furious. Hollywood Impact (1080i, 13:23) looks at the role of automobiles in movies. Prelude to '2 Fast 2 Furious' is the same piece found on the previous The Fast and the Furious disc. Inside '2 Fast 2 Furious' (480p, 10:02) is a bland piece that offers all the expected interview clips of the cast and crew talking up the movie and their experiences making it. Actor Driving School (480p, 6:38) showcases three actors -- Tyrese Gibson, Paul Walker, and Devon Aoki -- in-training for the more demanding driving scenes scattered throughout the film. Tricking Out a Hot Import (480p, 3:21) is a condensed version of the feature of the same name found on the previous The Fast and the Furious disc. Supercharged Stunts (480p, 5:28) looks at the making of some of the film's most impressive stunts. Making Music With Ludacris (480p, 4:59) examines the making of the music video tie-in for the film. Actor Spotlights (480p, 6:58) and Car Spotlights (480p, 9:15) allow viewers to dig deeper into their favorite stars and cars from the film. Furious Afterburners (480p, 3:23) is a pair of scenes. Also included are a series of deleted scenes (480p, 6:06) and outtakes (480p, 2:43). Finally, this disc includes D-Box functionality and BD-Live (Blu-ray profile 2.0) interactivity. Also included on disc two is a digital copy of the film. It looks good for what it is, featuring bright colors, solid detail, and visible but not distracting blocking. The sound is also fine, with effects and music that spread out well over the two small headphone speakers.

2 Fast 2 Furious Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Flashy but tedious, fast but not all that furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious makes for a decent standalone movie but it also pales in comparison to its predecessor in heart and soul, the two areas that count the most. The flaw in this film stems not necessarily from the absence of Vin Diesel, the addition of any other characters, or even the story, but from a lack of meaning. 2 Fast 2 Furious is sort of like a fast food meal; it does all it needs to do, satiating one's hunger in both a short amount of time and for a relatively small amount of money. Nevertheless, it lacks in nutritional content, is wholly unoriginal, and is completely forgettable only hours later. There's nothing wrong with that, and 2 Fast 2 Furious does what it does well enough, but it's nevertheless a major letdown next to the first film. Universal's Blu-ray release, however, is top-notch. Delivering a high quality 1080p transfer, a dynamic lossless soundtrack, and a solid assortment of extras, fans of the film should race out and pick up a copy.