Taxi 2 opens with a Japanese minister of defense arriving in Marseille to sign a weapons contract between Japan and France. He is not there to negotiate terms. He is there to be kidnapped.
That is the setup for the second installment in Luc Besson’s Taxi franchise, and it is a bold one. The film, directed by Gérard Krawczyk, takes the formula of the first Taxi and pushes it further: a cabdriver, a cop, a chase, and a city full of bad guys. What makes Taxi 2 work is not subtlety. It is pure velocity.
The film stars Samy Naceri as Daniel, the same speed demon taxi driver who saved Paris in the original. Frédéric Diefenthal plays Émilien, the cop whose girlfriend, Petra, is also taken hostage. Marion Cotillard rounds out the trio as Lilly Bertineau, Émilien’s love interest. The story moves fast, and so does everything else.
Trailer, via Csybor.
Daniel’s New Car
Daniel’s new ride is the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI, and it is a star of the film. The car is fast, agile, and built for the kind of driving Daniel does best. It replaces the Peugeot from the first movie, and the change is noticeable. The car is a character in its own right, and the film treats it as one.
The chase sequences are the reason to watch. They are loud, colorful, and relentless. Daniel weaves through traffic, hits the accelerator, and never stops. The film is not interested in realism. It is interested in spectacle.
The result is a film that feels alive. Every frame is packed with motion, and the editing keeps pace with the action. It is a breathless experience, and that is the point.
Émilien’s Honor
Émilien is the cop who drives the plot forward. He is determined to rescue the minister and his girlfriend, Petra, and restore the honor of his department. His character is a mix of competence and desperation. He knows the streets, he knows the criminals, and he knows the stakes.
His relationship with Petra is central to the story. She is kidnapped alongside the minister, and Émilien’s need to save her drives his actions throughout the film. Their scenes together are the emotional core of a movie that is otherwise mostly about cars and guns.
The Kidnappers
The villains are a group working for the Japanese yakuza. They kidnap the minister during his visit to Marseille, and they hold Petra alongside him. The film does not spend much time explaining their motives beyond the simple desire to cause trouble. That is enough.
The chase sequences are the focus, and the villains exist mainly to provide obstacles. They drive fast cars, they fire guns, and they get in the way. The film is not interested in their psychology. It is interested in their cars.
A City Full of Bad Guys
Marseille is the setting, and the film uses it well. The city is filled with criminals, and the streets are full of danger. The chase sequences wind through narrow alleys, crowded boulevards, and busy intersections. The film captures the chaos of the city, and the action never lets up.
The film is a comedy, but it is a dark one. There is violence, there is danger, and there is a sense that things could go wrong at any moment. The tone is playful, but the stakes are real.
The Sequel Problem
Taxi 2 is a sequel, and it has to live up to the original. The first Taxi set a standard for fast, funny action films. This one tries to match it. It succeeds in some ways and fails in others.
The film is faster than the first. It is louder. It is more over-the-top. But it also loses some of the charm of the original. The first Taxi had a warmth to it, a sense of community. This one is more isolated, more focused on the individual drivers and their cars.
The film is a product of its era. It was released in 2000, and it shows. The production values are solid, but the technology is dated. The cars are fast, but the effects are not. The film is a period piece, and it should be treated as one.
The Game
There is a video game adaptation of the film, also released in 2000. It was made by Ubi Soft, and it follows the same formula as the movie. Players drive fast cars, avoid obstacles, and try to complete missions. The game is a companion to the film, and it shares its world.
The game is a separate entity. It is not a reviewable work, but it is part of the same cultural moment. The film and the game both came out in the same year, and they both share the same title. They are two sides of the same coin.
The Verdict
Taxi 2 is a fast, fun, and forgettable movie. It is not a masterpiece, but it is not a failure either. It is a middle ground: a film that delivers what it promises and nothing more.
The chase sequences are the highlight. The cars are the stars. The performances are adequate. The story is thin. The humor is broad. The film is not subtle, and it does not pretend to be.
It is a film about a cabdriver who saves a city, and it is a film about a cop who rescues his girlfriend. It is a film about fast cars and faster driving. It is a film about the joy of motion.
The film is not a great movie. It is a good one. It is a film that knows its limits and stays within them. It is a film that is best enjoyed at high speed.
Key Facts
- Title: Taxi 2 (French: Taxi Deux)
- Director: Gérard Krawczyk
- Writer: Luc Besson
- Starring: Samy Naceri, Frédéric Diefenthal, Marion Cotillard
- Runtime: 82 minutes
- Genres: Action, Comedy, Adventure, Crime
- Released: March 2000
- Followed by: Taxi 3 (2003)
- Video game: Released by Ubi Soft, 2000
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