Two action-packed crime dramas are paired here together: ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 and 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS. In 1976, John Carpenter paid homage to Howard Hawks' superlative western RIO BRAVO with his second full-length feature film, ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13. Now it's Carpenter's turn to experience some cinematic adulation, with this remake of the film from director Jean-Francois Richet. Set in Detroit, Richet's film focuses on police Sergeant Jake Roenick, whose failed career as an undercover cop has lead to a New Years Eve stint in charge of the dilapidated Precinct 13. As a snowstorm rattles the windows and doors of the rundown station, Roenick exchanges some festive banter with police psychologist Alex Sabian (Maria Bello); curvaceous secretary Iris Ferry (Drea de Matteo); and retiring veteran Jasper O'Shea (Brian Dennehy). But their merriment is interrupted when a diverted prison bus escapes the ravages of the storm, seeking a temporary haven for its peccant passengers in Precinct 13. Criminal mastermind Marion Bishop (Laurence Fisburne) is on board, along with a junkie, Beck (John Leguizamo), and two young felons, Smiley (Ja Rule) and Anna (Aisha Hinds). Hot on their tail comes police detective Marcus Duvall (Gabriel Byrne), a crooked cop who wants Bishop dead before he testifies against Duvall in court. Bringing a formidable army of fellow corrupt officers with him, Duvall puts the police station under siege in order to snag his man before it's too late. But he doesn't bank on the impressive wiles of Roenick and his rag-tag mixture of cops and criminals, who unite in an attempt to defend themselves from an execrable ending at the hands of Duvall and his men. A highly entertaining action romp ensues, with director Richet delivering a fast-paced thriller laced with violence and surprising plot twists, ensuring viewers are kept on their toes right up until the film's blood-soaked finale.The sequel to the racing smash THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS may not have Vin Diesel as its star, but it burns with even higher octane than its predecessor, and a whole lot less extraneous drama. Back in action is undercover cop Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker) whose career has hit the skids since he let Diesel's character escape at the last film's end. He has sunk in status and is now a fringe dweller on the Miami street racing scene. A chance at redemption arrives when the fuzz recruits him to investigate Carter Vellone (Cole Hauser), a top-dog street racer with dangerous drug connections. O'Connor recruits his bickering childhood pal (model/singer Tyrese), now a nitro-burning ex-con from the Diesel school of toughness, to help him pull the bad guys to the curb with a tire-spinning vengeance. John Singleton (BOYZ IN THE HOOD, HIGHER LEARNING) directed, and obviously had great fun delivering, a straight-up racing thriller that's free of the message-bearing pressure of being a "John Singleton film." 2 FAST fairly roars off the screen with comic book exuberance and a cheerful disregard for anything that gets in the way of its forward momentum. Best of all is Tyrese, a natural, laid-back star--he's not afraid to poke fun at his own shirtless model-boy image and amply compensates for the mighty Vin's absence. Rapper Ludacriss is also memorable as O'Connor's mechanic, as is model Devon Akoi as a cute female racer.