Planned Ridiculousness: Wow! Even Crazier!
Craig Lieberman, formerly employed in the acclaimed stunt division of the first installments of the Fast & Furious series, divulged recently what originated the blunders in 2 Fast 2 Furious.
The second chapter of the F&F franchise has earned a reputation as a failed attempt since it did not embrace its roots in street racing. Tokyo Drift got things back on track by reviving the classic action, however, each release afterwards, has been an apparently endless trail of irrational stunts with Vin Diesel frequently ignoring his familial ties, leading up to Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris reaching outer space. Comparatively, the stunt work from part two is almost credible, possibly because they were achieved without CGI. However, if computer-generated imagery is not called upon, mishaps are likely to occur, which is what the video below examines.
One of the primary set pieces of the film saw an R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R (which, beginning in 2021, can finally be imported into many countries) launch itself over a Toyota Supra at an impressive speed of 160 mph. The race also featured the well-known pink Honda S2000, which was required to make a similar jump.
Due to the hazardous nature of the endeavor, the pink Honda S2000 had to be changed into a remote-controlled car. As the technology was not as sophisticated at the time, exclusive of any other choice the S2K had to be operated by an ordinary RC car controller. Consequently, a Dodge Durango had to remain in close proximity to the Honda; otherwise, they would be unable to manage the S2K.
The Honda vaulted a secluded 60-foot incline featuring a descent of three feet at the finish. Unfortunately, however, the Durango is legendary for lacking the same level of stopping force as the renown Japanese Domestic Market small vehicle. Hence, it trailed the Honda to the cliff’s edge, was unable to check itself in time and consequently took a plunge. Miraculously, those involved in the incident emerged unhurt.
The Skyline and Supra jumps were shot in different takes afterwards combined together through post-production. The Supra was only intended to jump the bridge at a restricted velocity, sans a secret incline. Nevertheless, the stuntman, aiming to please the stunt coordinator (so as to secure future prospects), accelerated further than expected.
Instead of gracefully descending and sliding the vehicle heroically, he skidded off the road and crashed into a Pepsi advertisement. If we’re critiquing potential job applicants, this would have been one of the more dire scenarios.
The third miscalculation in the filming process regarded a Corvette Drop-Head Coupe. It was supposed to impact a Saleen Mustang that had been already been smashed by a lorry, never envisioning it would overturn. The Corvette didn’t feature a roll cage, having instead, a band the stunt driver could grip should the windshield become completely destroyed. That is exactly what he did and he calmly escaped from the misconstrued crash site unharmed.
The culminating disaster entailed a scene in which a multitude of modified cars attempted to escape from a law enforcement chopper. This stunt necessitated that no less than 50 autos hastily moved away from an upper-level parking deck.
The stunt driver, piloting an orange Mazda RX-7, mistakenly exited the wrong bay before hurtling off a precipice, resulting in a dramatic collision. He was ordered back to his abode and hence, never made it back to the shooting location. Surely, crashing such a revered rotary-powered supercar does not come without repercussion.
Reflecting on all that could have gone catastrophically awry during this operation, it’s almost astonishing nobody incurred any fatalities.
