2 Fast 2 Furious

The absence of Vin Diesel is felt greatly in this film, as he and Paul Walker were a great team in the original film. I wasn't sure if I would like this film the first time I saw it, but Paul Walker was still great, as was Tyrese Gibson, playing Roman.

After this film, no one was certain about the future of the Fast franchise, not even Vin Diesel. There is a great storyline from this film that gives background on Brian O'Connor and Roman Pearce for future installments. This all culminates in the 2009 film, Fast & Furious.

I have to say, I really liked the jump onto Carter Verone's (Cole Hauser) yacht, that was really spectacular. I wonder how many takes it took to get that right. And the ejection seats in the car! Ouch! Overall, 2 Fast was not the best of the series, but it was really good nonetheless.

Undoubtedly this sequel suffers from the absence of Dom and the Toretto clan, but it still makes for a very enjoyable ride.

The plot is a little bit derivative of the first, following Brian on an undercover op, but it is a pretty fun story nonetheless.

We get to meet new characters Tej and Roman, who grow to become franchise regulars, and their introductions are very solid.

The direction is fairly slick. Some of the awkward choppy camera shots and whiplash inducing cuts remain, but there's plenty of impressive camera work in here too.

What I really enjoyed about this film though was the general tone. It is energetic and sleek and despite its flaws always carries a certain amount of charm and appeal.

It's not as good as the first and repeats the first film's plot but 2 Fast 2 Furious is still fun due to great performances from Paul Walker and Tyrese Gibson and their great chemistry. The enjoyable and over the top action helps as well.

The cars, the stunts and the eye candy (Eva Mendes) are better than the first. But unlike the first, 2 Fast 2 Furious still boasts a lacklustre plot. Nevertheless, it's a great "bro" movie for the guys. The partnership between Roman Pierce (Tyrese Gibson) and Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker) is amusing and works well as they team up and do next to impossible driving stunts with each other. The slight romance between Monica Fuentes (Eva Mendes) and Brian O'Connor is predictable, but it's not to the same extent as the first one - just a bit of flirtation but not to the extent of a full fledged relationship. The Miami backdrop adds to the "upgrade" feel of the second movie in the Fast & Furious franchise. Flashy and full of action is 2 Fast, 2 Furious.

What made the first "The Fast and the Furious" movie attracted fans besides the bad ass cars and competition on the streets was Vin Diesel's appearance as Dominic Toretta, a hotshot race driver who makes his money racing others in the streets; he was a rising star on the fame after doing such flicks such as "Saving Private Ryan", "The Iron Giant" and later doing "XXX".

At the end of the first movie, Vin's character Dominic flees away to Mexico where he wouldn't be in this sequel.

No matter, the series continues on.

"2 Fast 2 Furious" has Paul Walker reprising his role as Brian O'Conner, the one time agent who betrayed the enforcement agency by letting Dominic get away, is now a fugitive and being in a race competitions every night to make money. After being captured by the police, Brian is given a choice in either going to jail or helped the people he once work for in taking down a drug cartel dealer (Cole Hauser). Brian agrees under one condition that he gets his childhood friend Roman Pierce (Tyrese Gibson, Transformers) involved since he's into cars and knows his ways around tough people. They're also given an ally, the sexy Monica Fuentes (Eva Mendes) who's not only an undercover agent but also posing as the enemy's mistress. Time will tell when all will be revealed.

"2 Fast 2 Furious" is directed by John Singleton of Boyz in the Hood fame where he manages to bring the same energy and high expectations of the first movie. There's more cars, more chase sequences, more babes and more cameos this time around with a high octane pace.

Overall, it's good.