Movies Reviews

By Anne Brodie Jun 15, 2006, 11:59 GMT

Movie Review: The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift

Teenagers have been drag racing since cars were introduced. Nothing new.

They did it for kicks and found death in ‘Rebel without a Cause’ and they do it in ‘The Fast and the Furious’ franchise. So thrill me.The third ‘Fast and Furious; Tokyo Drift’ takes drag racing to new heights, introducing the relatively new street sport called ‘drifting’.It’s a speed craze that started in the mountains of Japan and has subsequently gained momentum around the world. The exhilaration and the dangers of drag racing are ramped up to unbearable levels as the kids careen through downtown Tokyo, at speeds of 197 km / hr.Here’s the thing – they’re going sideways! Drifting is the highly skilled art of driving at top speeds, pulling mightily on the handbrake, causing the car to twirl, run sideways and eventually right itself. If done incorrectly, the car either stops or runs off the road or into the nearest cement object. If done well, it’s a thing of rare automotive beauty.But it’s not just smoking tires that entice bad boy outsider Sean Boswell (Lucas Black – a Billy Bob Thornton protégé) to risk everything to drift race. It’s about being manly and taking on your enemies in a way that has a clear cut outcome. Boswell’s a troubled teen who flees to Japan - his Mexico – rather than face prison in the States. His crimes are car-related - racing, destruction of property and making his mother lose all patience.He’s got racing in his DNA.So Japan is a place to start over. But, soon, he’s right back to cars and the new thrills of drifting - the faces are different but the stars and groupies are the same. The hangers on - in skinny strips of skirt, heavy makeup with electronic devices attached to them – watch and cheer the racers, their heroes.Female roles are tacked on to provide prizes for whoever wins the race that day. They’re compliant and submissive, and attempts made to flesh them out are laughable, falling flatter than freshly straightened hair.They are prizes - ‘Whoever wins gets me!’ says one sassy gal.Not that that’s a problem. It’s how things operate in this kind of movie; women can be treacherous and make men fight, so keep them to the side. The local mob boss and his nephew terrorize the drifters and in portraying the inner circle politics and the ebb and flow of mob business, the film offers new dramatic layers. We see relationships between an estranged father and son, kingpins and their crews, outsiders and insiders, authority figures and slackers. ‘Tokyo Drift’ covers a lot of ground, in more ways than one, adding to its oeuvre and increasing its chances of another sequel.Sung Kang offers a standout performance as Han, the second in command of the drift crew and mentor to Boswell. He’s also on the run from the US and has found meaning (and money) in drifting. He’s cool and philosophical, with a past only hinted at.‘Tokyo Drift’ is a reworked Romeo and Juliet, as Neela (Nathalie Kelley) and Boswell struggle to be together in the divided house of drift racing. The heads of the households are here, the priest/mentor, the excitable friends the unrequited love. There is romance, tragedy and the stakes are huge.Oh and the sequel? Vin Diesel shows up in the final chapter. Nuff said.Opens wide internationally June 16th MPAA: Rated PG-13 for reckless and illegal behavior involving teens, violence, language and sexual content

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drifter 87Jun 17th, 2006 - 22:05:18

hey gooo watch this film its wicked

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helloJun 19th, 2006 - 17:27:35

A great movie!
:)

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linnieJun 20th, 2006 - 14:34:49

I think it's better than the first and second one, go0 watch this movie it's different from the others.

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J-DawwgJun 20th, 2006 - 17:28:14

This film was amazing, yes i am 13.

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DriftKing:)Jun 21st, 2006 - 15:26:47

You guys are talking out of your butts...This film is absoultely....INCREDIBLE!!!

you must see this film!!! The music in it is so addictive that you will be humming it for a WEEK! and the cars are more realistic than those in 2 fast 2 furious...

one bad point...Bad storyline!

9 1/2 out of 10!

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yourmomJun 21st, 2006 - 16:59:27

you do know that 197k/hr is like 110-120 mph i think they could have dont better there but the drifting was pretty cool.

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sailorJun 22nd, 2006 - 02:29:00

Anyone know what car Vin D is driving at the end?

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Bill MarionJun 26th, 2006 - 05:51:39

If you thought the first movie was a little 'B-ish' then you probably thought the second movie was simply gross. Or maybe you did what I did and turned it off half way through it and was only forced to watch the movie with your five year old son who could care less about a plot or good acting. No, this movie is different and it is so much better than the original that it's almost an average movie. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the movie. It's fast, and I was furious most of the time that I didn't wait until the movie was playing on HBO late at night when my stomach is upset from too much pizza. But to be honest, I thought it was a great attempt and the writers and director deserve just a little bit of praise for trying something a little bigger for this movie. If one compares the movie to the first two installments, then yes it's a wonderful movie. As far as summer movies go, it's better attempt than MI3, and XMen. No, Fast and Furious 3 is not a better movie than other summer sequels, it's a better attempt at useless plots, terrible acting, and a complete bore. The way the director tells us about the Japanese culture was marvelous unless you get too caught up in the story. I suggest looking at everything else in the picture besides the story and you'll get a lot more out of the movie, it might even make it better. Try that with any other sequels this summer and you lose the entire movie. I give it 2 stars, which is two starts better than the other two installments.

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Ur MomJun 29th, 2006 - 19:01:58

This movie is soo awesome its amazinggg!!! go this film noww!!!

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hjSep 3rd, 2006 - 04:47:14

movie was sweet

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