French Connection II

Name: French Connection II
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: May 21, 1975
Duration: 119 min
Rating: 68
Cast: André Penvern, Bernard Fresson, Cathleen Nesbitt, Charles Millot, Ed Lauter

1975

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 4 Ratings

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6.8

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6.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 4 Ratings

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French Connection II

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Movie Details & Credits

Twentieth Century Fox | Release Date: May 21, 1975 | R

Starring: André Penvern, Bernard Fresson, Cathleen Nesbitt, Charles Millot, Ed Lauter, Fernando Rey, Gene Hackman, Jean-Pierre Castaldi, Philippe Léotard, Samantha Llorens

Summary: "Popeye" Doyle travels to Marseille to find Alain Charnier, the drug smuggler who eluded him in New York.

Director: John Frankenheimer

Genre(s): Action, Drama, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 119 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Steve Simels

French Connection II is not exactly a fun flick (there’s a harrowing sequence where the bad guys shoot Hackman full of heroin, for example), but in its own twisted way it’s something of an art film — perhaps the most profoundly absurdist and pessimistic detective film ever made. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Hackman takes the enlarged role by the scruff of the neck and delivers yet another fine performance of doubt and the dawning awareness of his own weakness. Frankenheimer directs in taut, pacy fashion to keep the suspense high. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Surprisingly good follow-up to the original tough crime drama. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Hackman’s performance is another career highlight, ranging from cocky narc, Ugly American, helpless addict, humbled ego and relentless avenger. Read full review

Roger Ebert

The plot, the pursuit, the quarry, are all forgotten during Hackman's one-man show, and it's a flaw the movie doesn't overcome. Read full review

R. L. Shaffer

Director Frankenheimer does his best to keep the film moving, and he succeeds admirably in the final act, but the 90 minutes of dreck that precede the finale are of little interest, perhaps even tainting one's enjoyment of the first film, which is something no sequel should ever do. Read full review

Don Druker

A slick reprise of all the elements that clicked in the original with none of the seedy originality that made it work. Read full review

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User Reviews

Steven1981

Mar 24, 2020

Director John Frankenheimer brings us FRENCH CONNECTION II which was made in 1975 and is an action, crime type of thriller drama.. Gene Hackman returns as Popeye Doyle in this sequel to William Friedkin's original 1971 film called The French Connection..... FRENCH CONNECTION II see's theDirector John Frankenheimer brings us FRENCH CONNECTION II which was made in 1975 and is an action, crime type of thriller drama.. Gene Hackman returns as Popeye Doyle in this sequel to William Friedkin's original 1971 film called The French Connection..... FRENCH CONNECTION II see's the absence of Roy Scheider from the original and played Gene Hackman's partner but Fernando Rey returns in French Connection II as villain Charnier... Popeye Doyle (Hackman) is in France working with French police to find Charnier (Fernando Rey) who deals in drugs but one night after being spotted by Charnier is kidnapped and taken to a isolated hotel where Popeye Doyle is pumped full of drugs by Charnier and his criminal goons then eventually thrown out of a car on the streets and left for dead and full of drugs in his system. The French police save his life with probably the aid of a doctor but can't remember then Popeye Doyle (Hackman) burns the hotel he was drugged up in down and takes revenge on the drug criminals and gives villain Charnier (Fernando Rey) an on foot chase through the streets and eventually killing him as he catches up with a boat that's escorting Charnier. Full of bad language, explosive violence, chases, shootouts and excellent action scenes and a great performance from Gene Hackman I'd say personally this is the best sequel ever made in film history and better, more violent and more entertaining and enjoyable than the original French Connection film. What French Connection II does is take the original and make it more enjoyable and builds on it and makes a sequel of greater violence though more gloomier than the original I think French Connection II also seems a bit darker with the feel of a stronger threat looming on Doyle's (Hackman) character with more violence to the story. A must watch!!!… Expand

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Broyax

Nov 3, 2019

Suite du premier qui se déroule ici intégralement à Marseille, plaque tournante du trafic de drogue de l'époque... et c'est encore le cas de nos jours mais en pire ! en tout cas, l'excellent Gene Hackman reprend du service et traque le vilain trafiquant en la personne de... Fernando Rey !Suite du premier qui se déroule ici intégralement à Marseille, plaque tournante du trafic de drogue de l'époque... et c'est encore le cas de nos jours mais en pire ! en tout cas, l'excellent Gene Hackman reprend du service et traque le vilain trafiquant en la personne de... Fernando Rey !

Il peut compter (ou pas) sur la coopération des policiers français et notamment du non moins excellent Bernard Fresson qui accueille le cow-boy comme il se doit, c'est-à-dire sans égards... (France-Amérique : je t'aime moi non plus). L'amerloque est toujours affublé de son galurin et de sa chemise hawaïenne (sic) et toujours prompt à la détente, brusque et rentre-dedans (le choc des cultures et son lot de clichés).

Hélas, le film compte pas mal de lenteurs et s'avère nettement moins intéressant que le premier : le scénario lambine sévèrement comme s'il avait trop pris de produits stupéfiants. Il se rattrape néanmoins vers la fin et bénéficie de la mise en scène assez alerte de John Frankenheimer. Mais tout cela est un peu juste quand même.… Expand

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