| 2 Fast 2 Furious | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John Singleton |
| Screenplay by | |
| Story by |
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| Based on | Characters by Gary Scott Thompson |
| Produced by | Neal H. Moritz |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Matthew F. Leonetti |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | David Arnold |
Production company | Neal H. Moritz Productions |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures[1] |
Release dates |
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Running time | 108 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States[1] |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $76 million[3] |
| Box office | $236.4 million[3] |
2 Fast 2 Furious is a 2003 Americanaction film directed byJohn Singleton from a screenplay byMichael Brandt andDerek Haas, based on a story by Brandt, Haas, andGary Scott Thompson. It is the sequel toThe Fast and the Furious (2001) and the second installment in theFast & Furious franchise. The film starsPaul Walker asBrian O'Conner alongsideTyrese Gibson,[a]Eva Mendes,Cole Hauser,Ludacris, andJames Remar. The plot follows ex-LAPD officer Brian O'Conner and his ex-con friendRoman Pearce, who transport a shipment of "dirty money" for shadyMiami-based import-export dealer Carter Verone while secretly working with undercover agent Monica Fuentes to bring Verone down.
A secondFast & Furious film was planned after the box office success of its predecessor in 2001, and was confirmed with the returns of Walker and producerNeal H. Moritz.Vin Diesel andRob Cohen, the co-star and director of the first film, were unable to return; Gibson and Singleton joined the cast in their absence in 2002. Tocanonically account for Diesel's departure, the short filmThe Turbo Charged Prelude for 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) was produced and released.Principal photography for2 Fast 2 Furious commenced in September 2002 and lasted until that December, with filming locations includingMiami and the surrounding areas in southernFlorida.[4][5]
2 Fast 2 Furious premiered atUniversal Amphitheatre inLos Angeles on June 3, 2003, and was released in the United States on June 6, byUniversal Pictures. The film grossed $236.4 million worldwide and received generally negative reviews from critics, although its reception has improved over time. A third film with an unrelated story, titledThe Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, was released in 2006, and a sequel,Fast and Furious, was released in 2009.
Ex-LAPD officerBrian O'Conner has escaped toMiami and is in hiding, after aiding wanted felonDominic Toretto inLos Angeles escape from authorities.[b] He makes a living bystreet racing, driving his 1999Nissan R34 Skyline GT-R in events organized by his friend, mechanic Tej Parker. Brian is arrested following a race, but his former boss,FBI Special Agent Bilkins andCustoms Enforcement Agent Markham offers a deal to clear his record in exchange for goingundercover to help arrest drug lord Carter Verone. Brian agrees on the condition he choose his partner, deciding on his estranged childhood friend Roman Pearce. Initially, Roman distrusts Brian for being a cop and not preventing his own prior arrest, but nonetheless agrees to the same record-clearing deal.
Back in Miami, Customs Agent Monica Fuentes, who is undercover working for Verone, gets them an audience. Fuentes provides Brian and Roman two customized vehicles for the job – aMitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII and aMitsubishi Eclipse GTS Spyder. After a test in which Brian and Roman beat six other drivers to retrieve a package from Verone's car in an impound lot, they get a job to bring a package to Verone in the Florida Keys. During the test, Markham believes they are fleeing, and nearly compromises their cover by meeting them at the lot. Brian and Roman find out the two Mitsubishis areGPS-tagged vehicles, which allowed Markham to intercept them at the impound lot. To prevent Markham from undermining the next job, Brian and Roman acquire a 1969Yenko Camaro SYC and 1970Dodge Challenger R/T in a pink slip race from two of the drivers who lost Verone's test.
At a nightclub, Verone tortures corruptMPD Detective Whitworth into giving the men awindow to make their getaway. Verone then threatens Monica, whom he saw speaking affectionately to Brian earlier at the club. Brian and Roman revisit Tej and his crew, and they arrange a diversion during their drive to the Keys. One morning, Brian wakes up to find Monica in his house. She warns him that the drop will take place in an airfield and that Verone intends to kill them once it is complete. Enrique and Roberto arrive, looking for her, and a confrontation ensues before Verone arrives to defuse the situation, with Monica escaping beforehand.
On the day of the job, Brian and Roman split the money between their cars and leave. Whitworth eventually sends in the Miami police department, and a chase ensues. The pair lead the police to a warehouse where a scramble organized by Tej causes chaos. Brian and Roman elude the police in the muscle cars, while Tej and Suki, another street racer, are detained driving the GPS-tagged Mitsubishis to lead the cops away. As Brian approaches the airfield, Enrique orders him to detour to amarina. At the same time, Roman ejects Roberto from his car with an improvisedejector seat usingnitrous oxide. At the airfield, Customs surround the plane but realize they have been duped. At the marina, Verone reveals he was aware he was under surveillance and gave Monica false information. Verone orders Brian killed, and Monica onto hisprivate yacht, intending to use her as leverage. Before Enrique can kill Brian, Roman arrives, and the pair incapacitate him. Verone flees aboard the yacht, but is intercepted when Brian drives the Yenko off of a ramp and crashes into thedeck. Brian, Roman, and Monica incapacitate and subdue Verone.
Their deal upheld, Markham clears Brian and Roman's record, and Roman hands over Verone's cash. Brian and Roman agree to stay in Miami, and they decide to open a garage together, funded by a cut of the cash they secretly kept for themselves.
Because of the incredible response toThe Fast and the Furious, we knew we had struck a chord with young audiences. I believe we had tapped into a culture—the very urban world of street racing. It really resonated with our fans, who continued to support the film when it hit the streets on DVD and video—I mean, it really just exploded again, allowing even more people a chance to take the ride. We knew they were ready for another film, but only if we delivered one with the same authenticity and edge as the first. Well, we've done just that.
Plans to make asequel came about after the box office success ofThe Fast and the Furious,[6] which grossed over $200 million worldwide.[7]John Singleton had seen the first film and was awed by it, saying: "When I sawThe Fast and the Furious, I was like, 'Damn, why didn't I think of that?' Growing up inSouth Central L.A., we had street races all the time." Singleton's rave reaction of the film as well as the culture ofstreet racing in general influenced his decision to direct the sequel. The director also claimed that the concept of street racing could be something young audiences can relate to.[6]
Thescreenplay was written byMichael Brandt andDerek Haas, along withGary Scott Thompson (the co-writer from the first film).[8] There were twofilm treatments submitted early on, one of which did not involveVin Diesel's character in the event the actor would not return for the sequel.[9] Singleton creditedTop Gun as a major influence for the film, particularly with regard to the action sequences.[10]
Instead of portraying Jim Street inS.W.A.T.,Paul Walker would reprise his role asBrian O'Conner from the first film.[11] Vin Diesel was offered $25 million to return in the sequel asDominic Toretto.[4] However, he refused after reading the screenplay as he felt that its potential was inferior compared to that of its predecessor; rather, he chose to appear inThe Chronicles of Riddick instead.[12] According toVariety magazine in 2015 he was less taken with what the screenwriters had in mind for the film, "They didn't take aFrancis Ford Coppola approach to it. They approached it like they did sequels in the '80s and '90s, when they would drum up a new story unrelated for the most part, and slap the same name on it."[4] However, Diesel reflected on his decision in a July 2014 report fromUproxx, saying: "I would've said, 'Don't walk away from it just because the script sucked in2 Fast 2 Furious because there's an obligation to the audience to fight, no matter what, to make that film as good as possible.' ... I might have had a little bit more patience or belief in the long-term of it."[12]
Paul Walker, who had just finishedTimeline at the time, reprised his role in the second picture asBrian O'Conner.Tyrese Gibson, then knownmononymously as Tyrese, also became a part of the cast having previously acted in Singleton'sBaby Boy, which was the singer's feature film acting debut; he portrayedRoman Pearce.[13]Ja Rule, another prominent rap artist who appeared inThe Fast and the Furious as Edwin, was originally tapped to reprise his role. Ja Rule was offered $500,000 for the role, which was more than what he had been paid to appear inThe Fast and the Furious, $15,000. According to Singleton, "Ja got too big for himself. He turned it down. He turned down a half a million dollars. ... He was acting like he was too big to be in the sequel. He wouldn't return calls." Ja Rule later stated in an interview in 2021 that he was already obligated to go on tour at the time after Diesel andRob Cohen both declined to be in the movie. Ja Rule had to make the decision: to take the half a million dollars for the second Fast and Furious film or thirteen to fourteen million dollars on tour.[14]
The character ofTej Parker was then created, at first withRedman in mind, however, when Redman also had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with his own showMethod & Red,[15] the director then hiredLudacris as a substitute.[5] Bridges would later rise to prominence for appearing in the film and star in later films such asCrash andHustle & Flow.[16] Additional cast also includedCole Hauser as key villain Carter Verone, who appeared in Singleton'sHigher Learning;Eva Mendes as undercover agentMonica Fuentes; andDevon Aoki asSuki, the sole female driver in the film.[6]
Principal photography began in the fall of 2002,[5] andMatthew F. Leonetti served as thedirector of photography.[17] Filming was done mostly in various parts ofSouth Florida such asMiami Beach,Seven Mile Bridge, and Homestead Air Reserve Base.[6][18] Hauser's character's mansion was shot inCoral Gables, in a house owned bySylvester Stallone.[6] AtBill Baggs Cape Florida State Park,2 Fast 2 Furious was filmed on one side, whileBad Boys II was filmed on the other side at the same time.[19][better source needed]
Acar enthusiast himself,[6] Walker drove aNissan Skyline GT-R model R34 borrowed from the film's Technical Advisor, Craig Lieberman, in the film's opening scenes.[20] Aoki did not have a driver's license or any driving experience prior to the film's production, and took driving lessons during filming;[21] she drove a pink 2001Honda S2000 AP1 in the film.[20] Gibson drove a convertibleMitsubishi Eclipse GTS Spyder, whileMichael Ealy drove aToyota Supra Turbo MkIV model JZA80 that had been used by Walker inThe Fast and the Furious.[20]
The musical score was composed byDavid Arnold. The soundtrack was released on May 27, 2003, onDef Jam Recordings, the same record label that Ludacris was signed to.
2 Fast 2 Furious premiered at theUniversal Amphitheatre on June 3, 2003.[22] The short filmThe Turbo Charged Prelude for 2 Fast 2 Furious was released before select screenings and on special edition home releases of the first film.[23][24] It was then released to theaters in the United States on June 6, 2003.
2 Fast 2 Furious was released onDVD andVHS on September 30, 2003.[25] It was later released onBlu-ray on March 24, 2009, and 4K Ultra-HD on October 2, 2018.
A mobile game was released in 2004 by Digital Bridges.[26]
2 Fast 2 Furious earned $52.1 million in its U.S. opening in 3,408 theaters, ranking first for the weekend aboveFinding Nemo.[27] The film went on to score the fourth-highest June opening weekend, behindBatman Forever,Scooby-Doo andAustin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.[28] This was also one of three consecutive Universal films of 2003 to make an opening weekend above $50 million, with the others beingBruce Almighty andHulk.[29] Furthermore, the film suprassedShaft to have the highest opening weekend for a John Singleton film andXXX to have the biggest opening weekend for a Neal H. Moritz film respectively.[27] During its second weekend, it fell behindFinding Nemo, making $19.1 million.[30] Throughout its 133 days in release, the film reached a peak release of 3,418 theaters in the U.S. and earned $127.2 million in domestically. The film had the 15th largest US gross of 2003 and the 16th largest worldwide gross of 2003; combined with the international gross of $109.2 million, the film earned $236.4 million worldwide.[3]
OnRotten Tomatoes,2 Fast 2 Furious has an approval rating of 37% based on 160 reviews and an average rating of 4.80/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Beautiful people and beautiful cars in a movie that won't tax the brain cells."[31] OnMetacritic it has aweighted average score of 38 out of 100 based on reviews from 36 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[32] Audiences surveyed byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on scale of A+ to F.[33]
Todd McCarthy ofVariety magazine wrote: "While this John Singleton-directed sequel provides a breezy enough joyride, it lacks the unassuming freshness and appealing neighborhood feel of the economy-priced original."[34]Scott Tobias ofThe A.V. Club wrote: "Singleton abandons the underground racing subculture that gave the first film its allure, relying instead on lazy thriller plotting that's only a bag of donuts and a freeze-frame away from the average TV cop show."[35]USA Today's Mike Clark gave film 2 out of 4, and wrote "The movie is all about racing, and character be damned, though the still dazed-looking Walker and Tyrese finally get a little rapport going after a worn-out story's very rocky start." He concludes "Lack of pretension helps the viewer get over the fact that this is just another retread."[36]Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times gave the film 3 out of 4 and said, "It doesn't have a brain in its head, but it's made with skill and style and, boy, it is fast and furious."[37] Michael Agger ofSlate Magazine stated that "2 Fast 2 Furious is just 2 lame, 2 tame, and 2 much like a video game."[38]Stephen Hunter ofThe Washington Post described the film as "a kind ofMiami Vice with many more carz and numberz where all the adjectives used 2 go."[39] In 2018, Derek Lawrence of theEntertainment Weekly called it "the forgotten Fast and Furious gem" and praised the chemistry between Walker and Gibson and John Singleton's direction.[40] In his Vulture piece, Bilge Eberi defends2 Fast 2 Furious as an underrated entry in Singleton's career. Beneath its flashy exterior, the film is filled with simmering mistrust and personal grudges, turning typical action tropes into something more authentic. Eberi highlights moments of unexpected tenderness and camaraderie, like the playful joy during a car chase, showing Singleton's unique ability to add depth even to a seemingly second-rate action flick.[41]
In 2014, John Singleton said: "It was awesome. The heads of the studio at the time were just like, just make it fun, make it cool, make it this gen." He also added, "I didn’t do all that techno music that they did in the first movie. I used nothing but Southern Hip Hop which was like the rage at the time. I just funked it up, I made it more multi-ethnic." He also reflected on Paul Walker's role: "Paul [Walker] is going to be edgy. He’s going to be more like a bad boy. That was the film where he was the star." On the experience itself, Singleton said, "It was a real fun experience. I got a chance to spend a year in Miami working on a multi-million dollar movie."[42]
| Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| MTV Movie Award | Breakthrough Male | Ludacris | Nominated |
| Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Remake or Sequel | 2 Fast 2 Furious | Nominated |
| Worst Excuse for an Actual Movie (All Concept/No Content) | 2 Fast 2 Furious | Nominated | |
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Breakout Movie Actor | Michael Ealy | Nominated |
| Choice Movie Chemistry | Paul Walker | Won | |
| Choice Movie Fight/Action Sequence | Paul Walker vs.Tyrese Gibson | Won | |
| Choice Summer Movie | 2 Fast 2 Furious | Nominated |
After failing to secure the returns of Diesel, Walker, or any other member of the original cast, Universal ordered a sequel,The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006). Moritz returned and hired directorJustin Lin, who directed several subsequent installments in the series.[43]
Walker would reprise his role inFast and Furious (2009), a direct sequel to the first two films.
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