"Tokyo Drift" is Fast and Furious by Homer Yen (c) 2006
Nitrous Oxide injection system to give you that added boost to go from 0 to 160MPH in less than 10 seconds: $7,000. Modified suspension system to allow you to aggressively corner at 50MPH: $10,000. Drifting down a curvy, mountain highway with the girl of your dreams: Priceless
The interesting thing about the third film of the "Fast and Furious" franchise is that this one isn't just about the sound of revving engines and sexy females that use their buttocks to buff speedy little cars. Sure, there's plenty of that, which we come to expect. But under the observant eye of director Justin Lin, "The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift" allows us to look up every once in a while to notice the beauty within this world and away from the hubris and testosterone that is ever-present and over-oozing.
At odds with one another are an American student named Sean (Lucas Black) and the I'm-bad-really-really-bad leader of a group of Asian thugs. I seem to notice that Asian males aren't portrayed very nicely in these films. They weren't portrayed very nicely in the Joy Luck Club either. The Karate Kid 2 as well! What's up with that? Anyway, I digress.
Sean befriends a fast-talking entrepreneur (Bow Wow) who introduces him to the world of drifting. It's an art form of driving that seems about as difficult as driving through turns on a snow-covered road. The car frames are light, braking/shifting/pulling the emergency brake must be done with exact precision, and special tires seem to be needed to allow you to glide over the asphalt. You watch films like these and you're tempted to get into your car and try it. But a disclaimer at the end of the film warns us that professional stunt drivers were used. Plus, buying all those specialty tires must cost a lot! Nonetheless, that four-story parking garage seems pretty tempting.
Its bright part involves the mutual respect between Sean and an Asian rival. The seeds of a story are being sewn here. Despite all of the girls, glitz, and glamour, a thug's life can get boring without a steady and true friend. It gives the film some poignancy when the film isn't filled with vroom-vroom.
Did I like this film overall? Yes, sort of. The storyline seemed to be a little too busy. There are lots of characters and lots of cars. There are friendships, betrayals, wandering lustful eyes, involvement with the Yakuza, and a bunch of race sequences which deliver its promise of being fast and furious. Mostly, the film slalomed its way through the plot in the same manner that these fast little cars slalom through downtown Tokyo traffic. The 'drifting' aspect put a new twist on how to drive a car, emphasizing beauty and finesse rather than raw horsepower. It's a novel approach and keeps us engaged. I still liked the original one the best which was more character-driven. However, this one is better than the second installment (2 Fast 2 Furious). You do find little pleasures here and there that you might otherwise miss if they were just barreling down a straightaway.
Grade: B-
S: 1 out of 3 L: 1 out of 3 V: 1 out of 3
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