Three years after the events of the first film, former CIA operative Frank Moses tries to settle into a quiet life with his girlfriend, Sarah Ross. He brushes off former partner Marvin Boggs's warnings that old enemies are still looking for them, but when Marvin's car explodes, Frank begins to suspect otherwise. Frank and Sarah soon find themselves on the run, reconnecting with former colleagues and facing corrupt agents, hired killers and intelligence services from several countries. The chase takes them from Paris to London and Moscow in search of a Cold War secret, and the film plays its comedy against the clash between old-school tradecraft and modern methods.

How it was made

Summit Entertainment hired Jon and Erich Hoeber to write the sequel in January 2011, after the original's financial success exceeded producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura's expectations. The studio announced an August 2013 release in October 2011, later moved to July. Dean Parisot, best known for Galaxy Quest and Fun with Dick and Jane, entered final negotiations to direct in February 2012. The cast grew through 2012, with Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lee Byung-hun, Neal McDonough and David Thewlis among the new faces. Principal photography began in late September 2012 in Montreal, which was chosen for its tax credit and its resemblance to European cities, as the story moves through London, Paris and Moscow. The score is by Alan Silvestri and the cinematography by Enrique Chediak.

Reception and legacy

In its opening week the film took in 18.5 million dollars, below the 21.8 million of its predecessor, and it reached about 148 million worldwide. Critical response was generally mixed, with an average score of around 2.4 out of 5. Some reviewers praised its pace and humour, while others found the action implausible and singled out the cast as its main asset. A third film was announced, but it has not been confirmed to have entered production. Its main historical interest lies in its place within the wave of action films starring veteran actors, who revisit tough-guy roles with a comic tone.

Stills

Trailer

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Trivia

A real father in the film

The childhood photos of Han Cho-bai shown in the film are actually pictures of Lee Byung-hun with his late father, who died in 2000.

A tribute in the credits

Moved by Lee's story, director Dean Parisot chose to list Lee's father in the end credits as one of the main cast.

More films by Dean Parisot

Galaxy Quest1999

Fun with Dick & Jane2005

Bill & Ted Face the Music2020

Original Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (es) and Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.