"French Connection II" makes a huge mistake right away by taking Popeye Doyle out of his native New York and placing him in France. In New York Popeye was king of the streets. Remember that terrific scene in the original when Popeye walked into the bar loaded with African Americans and took total control? Alas there is none of that to be found in this sequel which, like most sequels, is totally unnecessary. Popeye acts like a goofy tourist while in France even down to wearing a silly hat. Where is the Popeye we know and love? He IS alive and well and when that Popeye shows up the screen comes to life. Unfortunately the film gets bogged down in a slow moving middle act which has Popeye captured and slowly turned into a heroin addict. And when I say slowly I mean slowly. It takes forever for this portion of the picture to conclude as it says the same thing over and over. Our interest in Hackman and the character keep us watching but it gets old fast. The conclusion, however, is a knockout as Hackman begins a foot chase to capture the elusive Frenchman. This scene alone is worth the time with a final shot that is terrific. Hopefully you will have stayed with this long, sometimes tedious film to get to that point.
Review of French Connection II
