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French Connection II (1975)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 1/14, 4/25

FC2
1/14: As a sequel, French Connection II holds the rare distinction for being better than the original even though it was a Best Picture winner.

The follow-up is more action-packed with the added international flavor as a bonus. Moreover, the performances are outstanding. Gene Hackman was okay in the original, but he's way better here because his character is more real, human, and funny. In fact, his anguished cry of "Mickey Mantle sucks!" did make me laugh.

The best part is the ending which is a fitting finish for the long saga of The French Connection. At the outset, as the opening credits rolled, when I saw who the director of the sequel was, which is John Frankenheimer, my expectations were immediately shot up. I knew that I was going to be in for a ride because he could turn a movie with a seemingly bland plot into a masterly crafted picture. Well, he did it again here.

All in all, French Connection II is a thrilling picture with one of the best performances by Gene Hackman.

4/25: There's only one correction I want to make: The French Connection is better.

However, Gene Hackman's performance is more Oscar-worthy in French Connection II. In fact, he does some of the best acting of his career; it's the going-cold-turkey scene that's the clincher for him. The sequel picks up where the original left off, and the transition is seamless with the buildup taking a while. By the time everything falls into place, I'm off to a ride in the final thirty minutes with an explosive ending when Popeye Doyle finally gets his man Charnier.

All in all, French Connection II does the original justice by sharply defining the word "obsession."