dtucker86 Review of French Connection II

French Connection II (1975)

a fine sequel that was unfortunately overlooked!!

[1 September 2003]

The late John Frankenheimer was truly one of our directing geniuses. He deserved to be ranked with John Ford, Orson Welles and William Wyler. The people who work behind the camera like the director, producer and screenwriter are just as important as the actors, because they make the film happen. Frankenheimer directed over 150 live tv shows in the Golden Age of television and I am happy that many are out on video. He started off his movie directing career with All Fall Down, Birdman Of Alcatraz, The Manchurian Candidate, Seven Days In May and The Train. His career nosedived after that but I am glad that in the last years before his death he was able to direct a slew of excellent tv films that won him acclaim from a whole new generation. Against The Wall, The Burning Season, Andersonville, The Island Of Doctor Moreau, George Wallace, Ronin, Reindeer Games and Path To War. He made this film in the nadir of his career in the 70s when his only hit was Black Sunday. Its unfair that few remember this film, like one movie critic said Gene Hackman repeated his Oscar winning role but no one cared. I think this is one of the few sequels that is as good and packs as strong a punch as the original. Popeye Doyle was sort of an anti-hero, he was a near maniac as a matter of fact! but you cheer for him because of Hackman's intensity in the role. He dominates this film and roars like the Indy 500 all the way. I think one of the reasons that I liked The French Connection and this film is that I really got caught up in hating Charnier the dope dealer he was after. Dope dealers are all murderers and scum to me. The scene where he kidnaps Hackman and turns him into a heroin addict really shows you the true horror of hard drugs as does the scenes where Hackman goes thru a hellish withdrawal. POSSIBLE SPOILER HERE. The French Connection had one of the greatest auto chases in movie history, this film has a great foot chase where Hackman chases down Charnier in the very end of the film. He races to the end of the pier and sees Charnier getting away again, he calls to him and shoots him to death! Frankenheimer was the master of suspense and this is one helluva film.