With only white-bread Paul Walker returning from the cast of 2001’s The Fast and the Furious, its sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious, may be missing Vin Diesel, but it does have what the hubcaps-and-hoochies sleeper hit lacked: a sense of humor. Who knew that didactic director John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood), or his sullen Baby Boy star Tyrese even had senses of humor? If the first movie was a deadpan pulp rewrite of Point Break, then 2 Fast is, as Tyrese’s character notes, more Dukes of Hazzard.

This time, Walker and childhood pal Tyrese go undercover as wisecracking street racers in Miami, where their Boss Hogg–like quarry is a flashy crime lord (Cole Hauser), and their Daisy is a scantily clad fellow undercover agent (Eva Mendes). Their Cooter is a garage owner and drag-race organizer played by comical rapper Ludacris. There’s lots of offbeat comedy (originality points for a torture scene involving a bucket, a blowtorch, and a large rodent), a multicultural collection of babes in hot pants, and plenty of cars chasing and racing. (All that’s missing is the Waylon Jennings voiceover narration.) Singleton makes it look deceptively easy to craft such a gleeful piece of park-your-brain-in-neutral summer escapism, but he’s a professional, so kids, don’t try this at home.