The French Connection II (1975)

76% of critics liked it
(21 reviews)
62% of users liked it
(7,173 ratings)

This sequel to the Oscar-winning The French Connection picks up almost exactly where the earlier film leaves off. Still on the trail of drug kingpin Frog One (Fernando Rey), narcotics officer "Popeye" Doyle (Gene Hackman) leaves his Manhattan stomping grounds and heads for Marseilles. There, Popeye… More This sequel to the Oscar-winning The French Connection picks up almost exactly where the earlier film leaves off. Still on the trail of drug kingpin Frog One (Fernando Rey), narcotics officer "Popeye" Doyle (Gene Hackman) leaves his Manhattan stomping grounds and heads for Marseilles. There, Popeye is captured by Frog One's minions, who pump him full of drugs in hopes of turning the cop into a hopeless junkie. After a grueling "cold turkey" treatment, Popeye is up and about and chasing after the villains, determined to mete out justice. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 59 min.
Directed By: John Frankenheimer, Robert L. Rosen
Written By: Alexander Jacobs, Robert Dillon, Laurie Dillon
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics

In Theaters: May 21, 1975 Wide
On DVD: Sep 25, 2001

Critic Reviews

Dragan Antulov, Draxblog Movie Reviews
looks lost in space and time
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
may wrap up the story the original began, but it just doesn't have the same magic
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
The last ten minutes are the best thing about it (that final shot is one of the best of the '70s), and it's no coincidence that in this ten minutes Frankenheimer returns to his technician passions.
Ryan Cracknell, Movie Views
While it certainly is a couple of notches below its action classic original, French Connection II is still a darned good action film that maintains the core of its central character and has some added layers that are genuinely disturbing.
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
you can't help but feel a sense of disillusionment ... because the finality of it is so harsh and so sudden that it draws your attention less to the idea of justice served than it does to the brute simplicity of violent retribution and the ultimately cycl
Brian Webster, Apollo Guide
Extras on the disc include two full-length audio commentaries, one by director John Frankenheimer and the other by actor Gene Hackman and producer Robert Rosen.
Brian Webster, Apollo Guide
If you take away comparisons with the original, it's a reasonably solid, if flawed, crime thriller; but it does shrink into the shadow cast by its vastly superior predecessor.
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
More conventional than its predecessor, but it's still unconventional by the cop thriller standard set by a wash of anonymous, lesser films. [Blu-ray]
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Nearly as high powered and gritty as the first 'Connection.'
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
John Frankenheimer's ("The Manchurian Candidate") version outshines William Friedkin's 1971 original.
Tony Medley, Tolucan Times
A classic with a terrifid car chase

Read all 11 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Anthony L

I love 70's crime thrillers and Gene Hackman is always very watchable but this isn't quite the sequel I was hoping for. That said, the acting is brilliant, particularly during the 'Cold Turkey' part of the film that was fairly uncompromising. The ending is also… More
I love 70's crime thrillers and Gene Hackman is always very watchable but this isn't quite the sequel I was hoping for. That said, the acting is brilliant, particularly during the 'Cold Turkey' part of the film that was fairly uncompromising. The ending is also really good too, it just doesn't feel like The French Connection. Still, very much worth a watch.
Conner R

A great follow up to the first and in many ways just as entertaining. Itâ€™s more about Popeye Doyle rather than the case, but thatâ€™s basically what I would want. Gene Hackman plays the character so well that you could watch him for hours and not get tired. I love the fact that it… More
A great follow up to the first and in many ways just as entertaining. Itâ€™s more about Popeye Doyle rather than the case, but thatâ€™s basically what I would want. Gene Hackman plays the character so well that you could watch him for hours and not get tired. I love the fact that it actually ties into the first one without becoming dependent on it. While it might have the same look, itâ€™s a very different film. The characters change and it becomes more about revenge. The heroin scenes really do have an effect on you and I think itâ€™s a step that was necessary to make it as gritty as the original. Definitely a great movie that can stand on its own as a crime epic.
xGary X

Incredibly grim sequel to one of the best hard-boiled cop movies of the 70s, Popeye Doyle blusters into France to find himself out of his depth and completely ineffectual in this strange land. Add to this the humiliation of being kidnapped and completely broken by the bad guy who… More
Incredibly grim sequel to one of the best hard-boiled cop movies of the 70s, Popeye Doyle blusters into France to find himself out of his depth and completely ineffectual in this strange land. Add to this the humiliation of being kidnapped and completely broken by the bad guy who deliberately hooks him on heroin, and a wrath-filled vengeance is assured. Sometimes difficult to watch, but a powerful sequel.
Mister C

Released in the summer of 1975,Gene Hackman returns as hard-boiled NY Cop Popeye Doyle in the sequel to one of the greatest cop movies of all time. "French Connection II",has Hackman again as Popeye Doyle trailing and going after the notorious heroin drug kingpin from the… More
Released in the summer of 1975,Gene Hackman returns as hard-boiled NY Cop Popeye Doyle in the sequel to one of the greatest cop movies of all time. "French Connection II",has Hackman again as Popeye Doyle trailing and going after the notorious heroin drug kingpin from the streets of New York all the way to dangerous towns of France. And this time around Popeye is not only out for revenge,but to settle a score once and for all. And he does. Action galore and non-stop suspense. Directed by John Frankenheimer.
Michael G

Obviously not as good as the original, but better than a lot of sequels. The detox scene was great if nothing else.
Andre T

This movie is a fictional sequel to the initially true story of the 1971 Academy Award winning picture The French Connection. The film expands on the central character of James "Popeye" Doyle who travels to Marseilles, France where he is attempting to track down French… More
This movie is a fictional sequel to the initially true story of the 1971 Academy Award winning picture The French Connection. The film expands on the central character of James "Popeye" Doyle who travels to Marseilles, France where he is attempting to track down French drug-dealer Alain Charnier, who got away at the end of the first film. Hackman and Fernando Rey are the only returning cast members. Picking up where the original left off, narcotics officer Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle (Gene Hackman) is still searching for the elusive drug kingpin Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey). Orders from the captain send Doyle to Marseilles, France, to track down the criminal mastermind and bust his drug ring. Once in France, Doyle is met by Inspector Henri Barthélémy (Bernard Fresson), who resents the his rude and crude crimefighting demeanor. Doyle then begins to find himself as a fish out of water in France, where he is matched with a language he can't understand. Determined to find Charnier on his own, Popeye escapes his French escorts and ends up being kidnapped by Charnier's henchmen. Forced to take heroin in an attempt to steal information from the narcotics agent, Doyle is left abused and humiliated by Charnier. After enduring a long and agonizing cold turkey withdrawal from the heroin forced upon him, Doyle then becomes determined more than ever to stop his nemesis. With amazing and impressive performance by Gene Hackman , this 70 police movie classic is a must see (after watching the first movie) .John Frankenheimer is a master in action movies."Bring water...Lots of water...".
Anthony V

No where near as good as the original.