Coverage:
by
Leah Bluntschli

A word to the wise: fellas, don't let those stunning "2 Fast and 2 Furious" car stunts (jumping over bridges, zipping in-between moving semi-trucks and drag racing down busy interstate highways) seduce you and replace the basic rules of road safety. In reality, tricks like that will get your license revoked and your custom street rod impounded. Instead, just give props to "Boyz N the Hood" director John Singleton for putting out this high-octane flick. It satisfies in so many areas. The editing was beautiful, especially during the racing sequences. The script was both witty and dramatic, with crowd-pleasing bad boy banter relieving the constantly high suspense. And the performances from the cast soared above and beyond my expectations. With his raw energy, emotion and believability, Tyrese Gibson, ("Baby Boy") is brilliant as Roman Pearce -- a tough guy from the street. His fiery, witty presence on-screen is complimented by Paul Walker's performance of Brian O'Connor, a cool, level-headed dude with a soft spot for females. And filling the perfect role for him as Tej, a shop owner with his finger in everything, including "organizin' and collectin'," Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges proves just how charismatic, funny and playboy he can be. The plot follows a basic, almost predictable formula employed by most action films today. The good guys are rebels; the sadistic bad guys always seem to be a step ahead; and those annoying cops just get in the way. The action scenes probably aren't very realistic, but then again, what action film is? What "2 Fast 2 Furious" delivers is every racer's dream of impossibly clear streets, tardy police, heart-stopping stunts and awe-invoking cars. Even tortoise-like drivers who keep to the right can appreciate that. In fact, I left grooves were my fingers gripped the seat.