Alex Stawicki, who despised his father's wealth in the first Fox film, now makes a living running a car dealership. Maciej Dutkiewicz's film can be compared to a used car – with a restored body and a tuned engine, but with high mileage and worn upholstery – telling much the same story 25 years later. “Fuks 2” looks more like a modern and expanded version of the 1999 film than a sequel. It's just that something that worked a quarter century ago doesn't necessarily meet the standards of contemporary cinematic entertainment.
Like father, like son. not shiny (Maciej Musial), like his father years ago, is an apathetic person susceptible to the charms of beautiful women. And my weakness for the attractive Julia I met on Tinder (Polina Galuzka) It will be disastrous for the boy. Young Stawicki is unaware of the fact that by having an affair with the girl, he will be exposed to the suspicious businessman Piechowski (Cesare Bazura) and will participate in a fraud worth several million zlotys.
Sheikh of the Stawicki family (Message Store) – perhaps because he sees in his son a version of himself from years ago – tries to dissuade Masek from his youthful behavior and heartbeat. For Alex, this lifestyle brought nothing but debt and high blood pressure.
Today, the exhausted man who can barely make ends meet no longer resembles the successful, intelligent boy who “scammed” his father out of money. However, in order to save Masek from a bigger problem, Alex will have to take another risk and turn to his old friend Mazur for help (Janusz Gagos).
There was supposed to be a sequel, but a remake was released. And unnecessary
Just a quick glance at the film's description is enough to see plenty of references to the first film from 25 years ago in the Fox sequel. Not only are almost 1:1 copies of the main characters and an influential businessman working on the borders of the law, but also the presence of seductive ladies (this time there are more of them, because except for Polina Galuszka, Katarzyna Sawczuk also flirts with Stawicki and the viewers), and even a string Investors from the Far East and of course big money in the game. It's hard to get, because listening and opening the safes this time won't help much.
There are many similar connections with the original film in Maciej Dutkiewicz's film (for example, the car escape scene), which makes The second “Fuks” film looks more like a remake of the 1999 production than a complete continuation of the already known story. The lack of idea about how to play the characters of Aleks and Mazur, whose real impact on the plot seems minimal, is very apparent. Stuhr and Gajos' efforts are wasted (although that's an exaggeration) – they don't really have anything to play with, and there's no greater commitment in the approach of the actors themselves.
What may also be surprising is the complete erasure of Sonja from the elder Stawicki's biography, who is not even mentioned in the new “Fox.” The lack of Agnieszka Krukówna in the film crew (although frankly I miss Stanisława Celińska the most) should not be a complete excuse for the screenwriters. Fans of the first film (and in the case of a return of such a film, the target audience is always fans of the original) deserve to at least read between the lines what could happen to the character so beloved by the audience.
A promising start, but it's just an eco-romance and “Ocean's Eleven” in miniature
Given the clumsy way in which Dutkiewicz (who is also the film's co-writer) handles the themes of Aleks and Mazur, it's hard to defend the premise that Fuks needs a sequel. If this is indeed the case, then the creators slept through this moment about 20 years ago. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that “Fuks 2” works best if we outline both works in bold. As a separate production, the film with Musiał and Claw – at least up to a certain point – works well. The first half of the film is characterized by good pacing, appropriate dynamism of events, good plot development and some acceptable jokes.
And then, unfortunately, a cartoonish environmental thread creeps into the plot. The heroes begin wandering the forests in search of thrushes and magic mushrooms, and consider the idea of scamming for a few cups. The final act – in the diluted and maximally simplified atmosphere of “Ocean's Eleven” – could even compensate for the foolishness of the text, if not for the denouement devoid of any emotion or feeling. It is undeniable that it is the energy of the young actors (especially Gałązka and Sawczuk), the charisma and the playful figure of Pazura that make it possible to reach the end credits in one piece despite the many bumps.
The new “Fox” is painless because it is colorless. We will quickly forget about him
Of course, the first part wasn't particularly impressive either, in its conception and execution, although the magic of 90s cinema and the ease that accompanied Maciej Dutkiewicz's production, which is difficult to define and explain, meant that Fox was able to engage, charm and make you laugh. Compared to the original film, “2” is simply bland – effective in terms of production, correct acting, clear plot, sometimes funny (smile, don't laugh) – but above all, colorless and devoid of fluidity. In terms of screenplay and direction, it's almost dated, though that's not surprising, since Maciej Dutkiewicz has only made one, almost unremarkable, film in the last quarter of a century. This disconnect from modern cinema is very clear.
The first film “Fuks” was released in cinemas at the peak of the popularity of gangster comedies in our country. It is true that to this day it remains in the shadow of “Assassins”, “Morning of the Wolf” and “Boys Don’t Cry”, but the memory of this title does not fade among older cinema fans. Dutkiewicz's film revealed to the audience the talent of Maciej Stuhr, for whom this was his first important role, and he charmed the audience with Agnieszka Krukówna's charm and acting energy. However, this year's sequel offers little more than adequate cinematic entertainment. No one asked for the sequel to Fox, no one needed it and unfortunately no one will remember it for a long time.
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