You'll miss Vin Diesel - model-turned-actor Tyrese is no substitute for the gravel-voiced hunk - and the crude story here is lower-octane than its predecessor. But director John Singleton's splashily shallow sequel provides enough revved-up cheap thrills to make the grade as loud dumb fun. Paul Walker is back - and blanker than ever - as the discredited cop, forced to go under cover to infiltrate the evil empire of Miami drugs baron Cole Hauser. Just about on his side are his old illegal street racing pal Tyrese and Hauser's mistress (played by Eva Mendes). How they halt Hauser's escape into wealthy exile without help from the apparently inept FBI is entertaining if pretty standard-issue stuff (clue: it involves lots and lots of cars). This 75-million-dollar-movie has the best special effects and stunt work Hollywood money can buy, yet for most of its running time it feels like little more than a souped-up B-movie.

It's a major double-cross when former police officer Brian O'Conner teams up with his ex-con buddy Roman Pearce to transport a shipment of "dirty" money for shady Miami-based import-export dealer Carter Verone. But the guys are actually working with undercover agent Monica Fuentes to bring Verone down.