THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT 2006
38%
Directed by Justin Lin
Written by Chris Morgan
Starring Lucas Black, Bow Wow, Brian Tee, Sung Kang, Nathalie Kelley
Synopsis
In an effort to keep him out of trouble—and away from the fast cars that get him into it—Sean Boswell’s mom sends him to live with his dad in Tokyo. It doesn’t work. Once there, he finds himself drawn to the underground world of “drift” racing and the girlfriend of a local gang leader.
Why We Love It
Remember when the Furious franchise took a big sidestep—all the way to Japan? When Universal ditched Brian and Dom and the rest of the gang for a spinoff adventure about a young man finding himself in one of the world’s wildest cities? No? Not ringing familiar? That makes sense: Tokyo Drift is the lowest-grossing entry in the mega-action franchise that has seriously revved up the global box office since it kicked off in 2002. And many who did see it have burned it from their memories. Their favorite movie franchise is about Vin Diesel and co. driving through skyscrapers and outracing nuclear submarines, and it’s all about “family,” not some young gaijin trying to navigate the Tokyo subway and the lunch line at his new Japanese school.
There is serious charm to this tale, though. Taiwanese American director Justin Lin was an inspired choice to lead the project. In indie breakout Better Luck Tomorrow (2002), Lin showed a knack for drawing natural performances from young actors and for portraying the allure of gang life in grounded ways, and he does much the same here. Lucas Black is low-key and relatable as Sean, and Sung Kang (who starred in Better Luck Tomorrow) is magnetic as Han, the “good” gang member who extends a hand, and a set of car keys, to our out-of-place hero. The racial stereotypes are kept to a refreshing minimum, too, even in the early scenes of new-in-Tokyo confusion. Lin isn’t interested in weird karaoke bars or ogling strange cuisines; his focus is on tending to that franchise hallmark: Lucas’s entry into a new “family.” A family of misfits that understands his driving passion.
Lin tends well to the franchise’s other main priority, too: namely, those incredibly noisy, property-destroying car chases and races. The titular “drifting” doesn’t add much to these scenes (a bit of sideways driving around corners, some slow-mo circling), but the action is heart-stoppingly staged nonetheless. It is also, like the drama in the film, more grounded than what you find in most Furious movies. The finale is essentially just a race down a hill—what, no glacier!?—but Lin’s smart cutting between pedals and wheels and determined faces puts you right there. It’s thrilling stuff and was enough for him to be given the keys to the franchise: Lin’s fourth Furious movie—his third with Dom and the rest of the gang—releases in 2020.