The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift is a 2006 American action film directed by Justin Lin, produced by Neal H. Moritz and written by Chris Morgan. It is the third installment of The Fast and the Furious franchise though in terms of series chronology, it takes place between the events of sixth and seventh films. The film stars Lucas Black, Bow Wow, Nathalie Kelley, Brian Tee and Sung Kang. The film was shot in Tokyo and parts of Los Angeles, the latter often covered with props and lights to create the illusion of the Tokyo style.
While the rest of the actors from the previous films are not in the film, Vin Diesel reprises his role as Dominic Toretto in a cameo at the end of the film.
Plot[]
Troubled high school student Sean Boswell (Lucas Black) and athlete Clay (Zachery Ty Bryan) race their cars, a 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and a 2003 Dodge Viper. Sean cuts through a structure and catches up to Clay. Desperate to win, Clay hits Sean's car repeatedly until they reach a high-speed turn, which causes both cars to crash; Clay's Viper hits a cement pipe, and Sean's Monte Carlo rolls. Clay's wealthy family helps him escape punishment, but because Sean is a repeat offender, to avoid jail he is deported to Japan to live with his father (Brian Goodman), a U.S. Navy officer stationed in Tokyo.
In Tokyo, Sean befriends Twinkie (Bow Wow), a military brat who introduces him to the world of drift racing. After driving to an underground car show in Twinkie's 2005 Hulk-themed Volkswagen Touran, Sean has a confrontation with Takashi (Brian Tee) — the Drift King (DK), who drives a 2003 Nissan 350Z — over Sean talking to Takashi's girlfriend, Neela (Nathalie Kelley). Though barred from driving, Sean decides to race against Takashi, who has ties to the Yakuza, in a 1999 Nissan Silvia S15 Spec-S loaned by a racer named Han (Sung Kang), but loses his first race with Takashi due to his unfamiliarity with drifting.
To repay his debt for the car he destroyed, Sean agrees to work for Han, who drives a 1994 Veilside Fortune Mazda RX-7. They become friends, and Han offers to teach Sean how to drift, explaining that he is helping Sean as he is the only person willing to stand up to Takashi. Sean soon masters drifting by practicing in a 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX, gaining respect after defeating DK's right-hand man, Morimoto (Leonardo Nam). Sean soon asks Neela out on a date, and learns that, after her mother died, she moved in with Takashi's grandmother, which resulted in their relationship. An enraged Takashi beats Sean up the next day, telling him to stay away from Neela; Neela subsequently leaves Takashi and moves in with Sean and Han.
Takashi's uncle Kamata (Sonny Chiba), the head of the Yakuza, reprimands Takashi for allowing Han to steal from him. Takashi and Morimoto confront Han, Sean, and Neela about the thefts. Twinkie causes a distraction, allowing Han, Sean, and Neela to flee, who are then pursued by Takashi and Morimoto. During the chase, Morimoto crashes, leaving Takashi to pursue the trio on his own. Han allows Sean to overtake him to hold Takashi off, but the chase ends when Sean and Neela crash. Meanwhile, moments after escaping, Han's car is broadsided and the car explodes before Sean has a chance to save Han.
Takashi, Sean, and his father become involved in an armed standoff which is resolved by Neela agreeing to leave with Takashi. Sean's father prepares to send him back, but Sean pleads him to let him fix his own mess. His father agrees and they make amends. Twinkie gives his money to Sean to replace the money Han stole from Takashi, which Sean then returns to Kamata. Sean proposes a race against Takashi, with the loser having to leave Tokyo. Kamata agrees to the challenge, on the condition that the race take place on the mountain which Takashi himself has been the only person to descend successfully. Sean and Han's crew restore a 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback that Sean's father was working on to drift specification, using several components of the previously wrecked Silvia, including the engine.
That night, on the mountain, crowds gather to see the race; Takashi takes the lead initially, but Sean's training allows him to catch up. Takashi repeatedly rams Sean's car, eventually misses, and drives off the mountain while Sean crosses the finish line, with Takashi's car almost falling on him in the process. Kamata keeps his word, and lets Sean remain in Tokyo; Sean is dubbed the new Drift King. Later, Neela, Twinkie, and Sean, now driving a 2001 Nissan Silvia S15 Spec R, are enjoying themselves at another car show. Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) shows up to challenge Sean in a 1970 Plymouth Road Runner, and Sean accepts after Dom proclaims that Han was family.
Cast[]
- Lucas Black as Sean Boswell
- Bow Wow as Twinkie
- Brian Tee as Takashi
- Nathalie Kelley as Neela
- Sonny Chiba as Kamata
- Leonardo Nam as Morimoto
- Brian Goodman as Lieutenant Boswell
- Zachery Ty Bryan as Clay
- Lynda Boyd as Ms. Boswell
- Jason Tobin as Earl
- Keiko Kitagawa as Reiko.
- Nikki Griffin as Cindy
- Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto (uncredited), who makes a cameo appearance at the end of the film.
Reception[]
Critical response[]
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift gained a 38% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on reviews from 136 critics; the average rating is 4.9/10. The site's consensus reads: "Eye-popping driving sequences coupled with a limp story and flat performances make this Drift a disappointing follow-up to previous Fast and Furious installments." On Metacritic, which determines a normalized rating out of 100 from mainstream critics, the film received a score of 46 out of 100 based on reviews from 31 critics meaning "mixed or average reviews."
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praised the film, giving it three out of four stars, saying that director Justin Lin "takes an established franchise and makes it surprisingly fresh and intriguing," adding that Tokyo Drift is "more observant than we expect" and that "the story [is] about something more than fast cars".
Continuity[]
Although this is the third film released in the franchise, it has chronologically been placed as the sixth. At the end of Fast & Furious 6 (2013), the scene where Han is killed when hit by a car is replayed in the film. In an added scene, it is shown that the car was driven by Deckard Shaw, portrayed by Jason Statham, who is the main antagonist of Furious 7 (2015).
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