It is no surprise that a sequel to the masterpiece "The French Connection" was commissioned. After all, the 1971 film helped to define a much more realistic kind of Hollywood movie and is in a league of its own. Gene Hackman brought so much depth to the tough cop, Popeye Doyle. In the hands of a lesser actor, the character would have become one-dimensional. Released in 1975, "French Connection 2," is actually very good on its own terms. Naturally, Gene Hackman was brought back and so was Fernando Rey as the drug dealer who eluded capture in the previous film. Aside from actor Ed Lauter, every cast member in this sequel is French apart from Hackman. It made sense to have this 1975 film, seeing as there were a few loose ends from before. Being set and filmed in Marseilles, we see a more vulnerable side to Popeye Doyle. He doesn't know any area of France, he has never been to that particular country before, so his being on alien territory makes him a target in more ways than one. There are some good action scenes which keep the viewer interested but the film suffers from overlength. If the running time had been trimmed by about 15 minutes, then the narrative would have been stronger. This is no fault of the director, John Frankenheimer. He certainly deserves more recognition as he made some very good films. The drug addiction reference makes for rather uncomfortable viewing as we see first hand, Doyle's graphic and disturbing withdrawal symptoms. I can understand why this was included in "French Connection 2," as Fernando Rey is determined to rid himself of this cop who has been a thorn in his side from day 1. He will employ any means necessary to rid himself of his adversary. However, the drug addiction took up too much screen time. Regardless, it is testament to how tough Doyle is as his fighting spirit is still there. Surviving his ordeal, only makes him that more determined to catch his man. The French police with whom Doyle works, view him with a certain degree of suspicion and concern. After all, Doyle's reputation precedes him....... There isn't so much of the humour or camaraderie that is so evident in the previous film but one scene that is quite droll is as follows: when Gene Hackman goes to a bar and he can't make himself understood very well as his French is limited and the barmans English is even worse! Then after a few drinks together, they merrily walk the streets of Marseilles after the bar is closed. That was a good scene. This isn't a classic but worth viewing all the same. There were plans by "20th Century Fox" to produce a third "French Connection" film with Gene Hackman being paired with Richard Pryor as his new partner. It was scheduled for production for about 1979. That sounds interesting, a shame it didn't bear fruition.

"French Connection 2" pales in comparison to "The French Connection". This movie comes across as a director's vanity piece. The story is weak, so Frankenheimer finds it necessary to stretch almost every scene. The first part is nothing more than trite examples of Hackman's challenge with the French language. The second part where he is forcibly hooked on heroin and then detoxes is way too long and boring. I mean an exchange about baseball players goes on and on forever. Even the finale, with the endless chase is anti-climatic, as two shots end this ten minutes of buildup and the credits roll. I say skip this director's self indulgence. - MERK

John Frankenheimer may be the best Director that modern Movie Lovers have never heard of. He was always ahead of His time and never compromising. This Movie is surely uncompromising. It took a well known Best Actor Performance from a Best Picture Winner and the Character, Popeye Doyle, and stripped Him of the already barely likable persona of a tough, one dimensional Cop and laid Him open for all to see. It was not a pretty picture.Neither is French Connection II. It will have you squirming and the Second Act detox is not for anyone with expectation of a slick Action Movie. This is a gritty, dirty, unpleasant Character Study that is compelling Cinema, but not Viewer Friendly. It was taking that Seventies realism just one step further. It has enough Action and energy to make it as a Thriller but it never lets you forget the painful pursuit of Doyle's obsession with removing H from the Street and the even deeper pain of removing it from your body. This makes this compelling and completely coarse Cinema that makes you pay the price for your Entertainment. Not the best Box-Office formula but it is the stuff of Artistic Angst.

Ah, yes, another 70's movie that loses its luster alongside Miami Vice and Bad Boys. What am I? A wise guy? Guess that's true.French Connection II is a lot different from The French Connection. It was neither a better or worse movie. It was different, and one reason is that Roy Scheider was not there. French Connection was set and filmed in the port town of Marseilles.Ben "Popeye" Doyle does not have a lot going for him, at the beginning and for most of the movie. He is greeted by a police chief(Bernard Fresson) who is dressing fish at a dock with a dozen or more of his men who are all doing the same. Barthelemy finds out he has been had, that what he is looking for among all the fish is not there, that it's an April Fool's joke. What Doyle finds out after a little cordiality is that Doyle is not wanted in Marseilles. Barthelemy points out to Popeye that a lot of men are lost in the shootout at Charnier's drop point in New York. Popeye is there in Marseille to get Charnier no matter what, even after the bloodbath back in New York. But Popeye's hands are tied---Barthelemy only allows Doyle to be an observer. Knowing Inspector Doyle's aggressiveness and furtive agreement with himself(and the devil if it means that), it's a foregone conclusion that Doyle will go after the heroin trafficker. If you know the other movie. Doyle is a loose cannon. But he is a smart cop, a good shot, and being in France does not faze him. After all, Ben Doyle is a New York cop.If any film proves Hackman's worth as an actor, his artistry as a performer comes shining through when Doyle is shot with heroin. The realism of a heroin user under the influence is evident as Hackman falls deeply under the drug's spell. He is like a person who has had a lot..He has no strength, he has no desire really, to get up off the bed. How he comes to get the junk is something to find out elsewhere ..I like finding out first hand.Later, when Hackman is coming off the stuff, there is a little comedy as Hackman talks to the chief. The detective's withdrawals are authentic, as is his derision toward the police chief. But soon Popeye Doyle is back on the case, fit as ever, and with the blessings of Barhtelemy --but not entirely.A tight film, with some nice sights on the way. And no violins in the background. Popeye does not miss out on the femmes. He doesn't not miss much, period.