Humphries and Erfurth together devised a brief but intense training program for Lawrence, Smith and their co-stars Yul Vázquez, Jason Manuel Olazábal and Gabrielle Union. Lawrence and Smith spent the first day with a select group of weapons specialists who couldn’t help but slip in a few digs about how the duo handled their weapons in the first film. "Martin and Will took the ribbing in stride," laughs Erfurth. "They were very good sports. This time we made sure they knew how to properly handle a weapon. It’s a simple matter of muscle memory tactics: drawing the gun, holstering it, becoming comfortable with the thumb break and the gun itself, how it feels in your hand. We taught them reloading techniques and chambering a round into the pipe, loading the gun, so that it becomes routine and normal from muscle memory. It’s all about repetition so that they can become comfortable with a weapon and aren’t afraid of it or clumsy. What you learn in training should become second nature when you’re in a highly stressful situation. You shouldn’t even have to think because everything should automatically come through muscle memory."
Members of T.N.T. and S.W.A.T. spend time on the range with a variety of weapons, practicing tactics, entries and vehicle assaults on a monthly and even bi-weekly basis to become completely comfortable with the job. Training is key. In keeping with this philosophy, the actors selected a gun that felt the most comfortable to handle. Each actor used this same weapon from training exercises throughout filming.
Reprising his role as Captain Howard is veteran actor Joe Pantoliano, who recently played the volatile Ralphie on "The Sopranos." In discussing his character’s progression since the first film, Pantoliano notes, "Captain Howard is trying desperately to change his methodology. He has embraced the softer, cuddlier side of life and he encourages Marcus to do the same. I particularly enjoy the fun the writers had in spoofing this current trend toward self actualization."
He also sings the praises of his director and producer. "They were really out to make an even better movie this time around," says Pantoliano. "They were incredibly collaborative and let me add ideas like the Buddhist sensibility, taking off my shoes, hanging crystals and lighting incense to give Captain Howard’s metamorphosis a physical life. I just thought it would be interesting. And they agreed."
"I liked Gabrielle’s sharp energy," Bay says. "You can tell that she’s very well educated, has smarts, and you believe she’s a rising D.E.A. agent."
As in real life, the jurisdictions of various law enforcement agencies in the film frequently overlap with one another during the criminal investigation. Part of the reason is that they don’t or cannot coordinate their efforts, according to Bruckheimer. "Sometimes they inadvertently bump into each other, and that’s what happens with Syd, who has been working on a case out of New York for quite a while. Then her investigation penetrates a drug ring in Miami at about the same time Mike and Marcus are sniffing around that particular group of criminals. The circumstances are rather unexpected and erratic when they bump into each other."
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