2 Fast 2 Furious (PG-13, 2003)

Paul Walker plays Brian O'Connor, who walked away from his job as an undercover cop in L.A. at the end of the first film. Now he lives in Miami and races on the streets for money. When given a choice between being arrested or going undercover to get the goods on a sleazy bad guy, Brian agrees to pose as a driver, as long as he can team up with childhood pal Roman Pearce (R&B star Tyrese, the only actor in this mess who shows any presence or class). Yes, there's some history the two of them have to work through; yes, the bad guy (Cole Hauser, barely registering on screen) gives them a test run to prove themselves; yes, the other undercover cop is a gorgeous babe who may be so far undercover that she can't be trusted; and yes, there are lots of chases, races, and what Roman refers to as "Dukes of Hazzard stunts."

Talented writer-director John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood, Shaft) is really slumming here. This movie has numbingly inane dialogue, and for a story about people who are in love with machinery, it's also absurdly low-tech. In one completely idiotic scene, the bad guy tortures a policeman with a metal bucket, a huge rat, and a torch (you don't want to know). The movie takes only the least interesting character from the first film and puts him into a dumb undercover story that feels like a rejected script for Miami Vice.

Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: John Singleton
Cast: Eva Mendes, Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson
Genre: Action/Adventure
Run time: 107 minutes
Theatrical release: June 6, 2003
DVD release: September 28, 2003
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: street racing, violence, language and some sensuality.