The reviews are almost uniformly positive, and the praise gathers in one place: the action. Critics single out the sustained closing chase, the stunt work and the vehicle choreography, with several naming that final sequence among the best of its kind. The photography and editing draw repeated notice, as does the pace, which most describe as relentless without becoming shapeless. A clear majority also rank it above the first film, and several call it the strongest entry in the series.
The reservations cluster around what sits underneath the spectacle. Most critics accept that the plot is slight; a few count it against the film. The New Yorker calls it visually terrific but joyless and short of real resonance, and Slant finds it conventional in spirit next to the original. Empire has doubts about Gibson’s charisma while crediting Miller’s set pieces with making up the difference. The spread is narrow: nine positive, one mixed, none negative.