STF Films

When screenwriter William Goldman said, “nobody knows anything” in Hollywood, he wasn’t kidding. Take 2001′s The Fast and the Furious, a $39 million-budgeted B-movie that mystified Hollywood pundits when it bolted out of the starting gate with $40 million in its opening weekend. By the time the Vin Diesel-fueled street racing flick made its final lap around the domestic track, it scooped up $144 million total, leading Universal to rush a sequel into production.

In 2 Fast 2 Furious, things are a little different. Not only does it have a bigger budget (doubled to around $78 million) and a different setting (moving from Los Angeles to Miami), but Paul Walker has a new co-star in rapper-turned-actor Tyrese. He slipped into the driver’s seat after Diesel dropped out over a salary dispute (taking the original film’s director Rob Cohen with him).

In an age where sequels tend to pale in comparison to the films that inspired them, at least 2 Fast 2 Furious is about as good as the first movie in terms of sheer entertainment value. The bad news is that style once again takes pole position over substance, with the film more or less resembling a sub-par episode of Miami Vice. That being the case, 2 Fast 2 Furious is still a fun thrill ride, thanks to some cool car chases, hot chicks and great chemistry between co-stars Walker and Tyrese.

Disgraced former LAPD officer Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) can now be found kicking back on the mean streets of Miami. He has one chance to redeem himself when he is recruited by the Feds to expose a crime lord (Cole
Hauser) in a money laundering operation, but he needs his old speed-freak pal Roman Pearce (Tyrese) to help him out. It doesn’t take long for Brian and Roman to get in over their heads, and only a sexy undercover customs agent (Eva Mendes) can help them cross the finish line with their lives intact.

Where The Fast and the Furious was grungy and casual, 2 Fast 2 Furious is slick and more polished. The cars are faster, the women are prettier and director John Singleton (Boyz ‘N’ the Hood, Shaft) keeps the film firmly rooted in “guilty pleasure” territory (in other words, don’t think too much about the plot). In addition, Paul Walker seems to have a much better grip on his character, and Tyrese slips into Diesel’s shoes with lots of energy and great comic timing.

As for the supporting players, Eva Mendes isn’t required to do much except look hot, which is exactly what she does here. She seems to enjoy flaunting her sexuality as she toys with both Walker and Tyrese, while Cole Hauser seems to be relishing his role as the film’s token bad guy. It’s an underdeveloped cliche-ridden role, but at least he makes the most of it by being a worthy opponent to Walker and Tyrese.

2 Fast 2 Furious may seem like the most unnecessary of all sequels, but at least you don’t need to see the first movie to give it a lap around the cinematic track. With top-notch car chases front and center here-and in other summer flicks like The Italian Job and The Matrix Reloaded — it’s nice to know that movies like 2 Fast 2 Furious have a while to go before they run out of gas.

Faster than a speeding film projector! More powerful than a major Hollywood studio! Able to leap box office records in a single weekend! Look…up on the big screen! It’s a drama…it’s a comedy…no, it’s another comic book movie! That’s right, folks, not even two months after the pulp heroes of X2: X-Men United kick-started the summer with a phenomenal opening weekend, the biggest, meanest, greenest comic book hero of them all, the Hulk, is ready for his close-up.

Actually, the Hulk isn’t really a superhero at all—at least, not in the classic sense. But he is a Marvel comic book character (like Spider-Man, Daredevil and The X-Men), and ever since he smashed his way through a TV spot that aired during the Super Bowl last January, internet chat rooms have been buzzing with talk about how fake he looks (“Shrek on steroids,” anyone?). While I can honestly say that he does look better in some scenes than in others, we are talking about a special effect here (albeit a very expensive one—the movie cost a reported $150 million), and after a while, you get used to it.

Besides, the story is the thing, and that’s where the film gets…well, interesting. Not great, mind you, but interesting. The Hulk is easily the most ambitious movie of its kind to hit the big screen yet, and that will surely please open-minded moviegoers looking for a break from the formula. Then again, this is not your typical comic book movie, and all others expecting the usual allotment of mindless summer entertainment are in for a rude awakening by its deep, psychological, cerebral approach.

In a freak mishap, scientist Bruce Banner (Eric Bana) is exposed to massive amounts of gamma radiation that would have killed a normal person, but it instead triggers a biological transformation within him that turns him into a huge, raging, indestructible juggernaut who smashes through everything in his path. His would-be girlfriend—and fellow scientist—Betty Ross (Jennifer Connelly) must stop her father (Sam Elliott) before he uses military force to destroy the monster, but she has to act fast if she is going to save both the man and the creature.

Screenwriter James Shamus and director Ang Lee—hot off the incredible, Oscar-winning success of 2000’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon—remain true to the Hulk’s Stan Lee-created mythology, but they take some very interesting creative liberties when it comes to making the film more of a character study. There’s an obvious sympathetic beauty-and-the-beast element that recalls the original King Kong, and the presence of Bruce Banner’s father (played by Nick Nolte, looking much like he did in his recent DUI mug shot) gives the film a paternal mad-scientist angle like the one found in Frankenstein.

On a stylistic level, The Hulk looks more like a comic book movie than any of its predecessors. Lee uses a lot of ambitious, arty split screen techniques that resemble comic book panels, while the opening and closing credits use the type of lettering that have been used in comics for decades. There are also a lot of quick zooms in and out of the action, while transitions between the various scenes literally morph and blend into one another.

The problem is that this zippy style is in stark contrast to the overall tone of the movie, which, it must be stated, takes itself way too seriously. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with taking a different approach to tell the story, Lee seems to have forgotten that comic book movies are supposed to be fun. There’s too much brooding, talking, sulking and psychological analysis for this to be considered “fun,” and a lot of the initial character development feels fabricated, contrived and—at times—poorly written.

Then again, when the not-so-jolly green giant finally does lose his temper, look out! The sight of the computer-generated character may be a bit jarring at first, but once he breaks out of his prison and hops across the desert to reach San Francisco, the movie kicks into the “fun” gear that it should have been in the whole time. During these scenes, the film ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous, which is especially the case when the Hulk takes on a few genetically-enhanced dogs (including, of all things, a giant killer poodle!).

For a comic book movie that puts so much emphasis on character development, the acting is surprisingly stiff. Eric Bana, who made a killer turn in the critically acclaimed Chopper and stood out from a crowded cast in Black Hawk Down, doesn’t really resonate as Bruce Banner (then again, he is playing second-fiddle to a special effect). Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind) does her best as Bana’s would-be girlfriend, while Josh Lucas (also from A Beautiful Mind) is a little too one-dimensional as Bana’s scientific and romantic rival. Probably the best performance belongs to Nick Nolte, who manages to make his mad scientist somewhat sympathetic despite his selfish motivations.

Ang Lee has one of the most varied resumes in the business (Sense and Sensibility, The Ice Storm, Ride with the Devil and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), so it’s no surprise that he took his first Hollywood blockbuster in such a different direction. He certainly deserves a lot of credit for doing so, but the results are decidedly mixed (the film drags on for 2 hours and 18 minutes, and the dialogue is corny at times). It may not be the kind of Hollywood blockbuster that’s going to sell a lot of Happy Meals, but as long as moviegoers are in the mood for a challenge, then there’s no doubt that The Hulk will keep them from getting angry.

And believe me, you won’t like them when they’re angry!

Far be it for me to argue with a movie’s success, but if you had told me two years ago that “Legally Blonde” would gross almost $100 million at the box office, I never would have believed it. Though Reese Witherspoon was simply irresistible as the naïve, idealistic, fashion-savvy Elle Woods, the rest of the film was a clunky, contrived “Clueless” wannabe that never really came to be. But like I said, the movie did well, so what do I know?

The following year, Witherspoon hit paydirt yet again with “Sweet Home Alabama,” another clumsy, hokey comedy that did even better at the box office, grossing $127 million. Even though Witherspoon’s character wasn’t nearly as likable as she was in “Legally Blonde,” the successful film obviously hit home with a lot of moviegoers; so once again, what do I know?

Now America’s favorite blonde is back, and this time, she takes on Washington in “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde.” As expected, Witherspoon is too cute for words, but unfortunately, the rest of the movie is even more predictable and lightweight than its predecessor. What was fresh and funny the first time around seems like more-of-the-same in the sequel, and the film’s overly-optimistic, corny tone makes it too sweet, silly and far-fetched for its own good.

Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) is now a successful lawyer who’s about to marry the man of her dreams, but when she finds out that her dog’s parents are being used as cosmetic test subjects by one of her firm’s clients, she loses her job after standing up for their rights. With only her clever sensibilities, optimistic personality and pink wardrobe to fall back on, Miss Woods goes to Washington to take on the stuffy Feds who hold the key to their freedom.

With Elle taking the offensive in all her perky glory, the film has a strong animal rights message that makes it easy to embrace (especially since it opens on the Fourth of July weekend). In addition, its tone is so unabashedly idealistic and cheerful, you’d have to be a real Scrooge not to get caught up in its mood. Finally, and most importantly, Reese Witherspoon infuses her signature role with the assurance, charm and sex appeal of a living Barbie-doll who literally lights up the screen (in a shade of pink, of course!).

The problem is that “Legally Blonde 2” is sugarcoated with too much sweetness to be believed (after all, it does take place in Washington), and that makes it an awfully hard pill to swallow (that is, if you’re over the age of 16). The film is incredibly fabricated and contrived, and there isn’t enough at stake to establish a narrative hold (which is a shame coming from Charles Herman-Wurmfeld, the director of last year’s wonderful “Kissing Jessica Stein”). It’s all too easy for Elle and her merry band of supporters, and even a “surprise” revelation regarding her dog only pushes the film further into “too silly for words” territory.

Obviously, its Witherspoon’s movie (in addition to receiving a career high of $15 million, she’s also listed as Executive Producer), but the supporting characters are too one-dimensional to even register. Comic icon Bob Newhart is all but wasted as the seasoned hotel doorman who mentors Witherspoon, while Regina King shows up from time to time as a fellow lobbyist whose sole mission is to give Witherspoon a hard time. Sally Field plays Witherspoon’s boss with an all-too-predictable agenda of her own, leaving it to the first film’s returning players (especially the spunky best friends played by Alanna Uback and Jessica Cauffiel) to give the film its best, but all-too-brief moments.

There’s no doubt that Reese Witherspoon is an incredibly strong screen presence who can charm the pants off just about anybody, but try as I might, I just couldn’t get past all the pink outfits and group hugging to make a connection to “Legally Blonde 2.” Having said that, there’s no doubt that the same moviegoers who liked the first film will turn the sequel into another huge box office hit, so what do I know?