Fast and the Furious 3 Tokyo Drift — he said, she said — movie review — screener!
SHE SAID:
So I wanted to see Fast and the Furious 3 because a) it’s in Tokyo and I haven’t been there in ages b) Chris does a mean slide that will evolve into a scary drift when the popo are at bay c) what the hell, it was free. Should I also mention that I really get a kick out of every ethnicity from Asia portraying Japanese people? Yes, it’s fun “pick out the Nihonjin” time! I just wonder if everyone thinks Japanese people look like Brian Tee, who played the snub-nosed villain rather than the “Exceedingly Handsome Guy” (it’s really in the credits according to imdb) who was actual Japanese star Satoshi Tsumabuki. That’s something I doubt many white people go through unless you’ve heard cries of “I can’t believe that German guy’s pretending to be an O’Malley!”
Anyway, Fast and the Furious 3 starts off fast and furious with a car chase where we’re supposed to believe Lucas Black, who plays lead role Sean Boswell, is a teenager. He races the eldest brother (Zachary Ty Bryan) from that show with Tim the Toolman Taylor and gets into trouble with the law, which apparently is not his first time. In a pretty good snippet with Mr. Bad Cop, we learn that he’s a product of military impudence, divorced scrappy parents, and is in desperate need of a girlfriend. A weird deal is struck and instead of Juvenile Hall, he is sent to board with his estranged father in Japan. So that establishes how he gets there. The rest is just one crazy pile-up after another.
After swearing never to race ever again, on his second day in Japan in fact, he’s behind the wheel of two cars of people he just met and wouldn’t you know it, he feels the need for speed again! And in a narrow parking garage no less and he doesn’t know how to drift! Of course he loses the skirmish and must build up his self-worth and train amidst the sometimes disjointed “fast friendship abroad” and “love at first sight” scenes, some lightning quick culture introduction and assimilation, and some really really killer drift stunts and crazy crashes. The Skyline shrapnel goes flying(!) which helped me to wake up during some parts that were just a little slow and were supposed to establish warmth but it didn’t work for me. So while the lines were passable, maybe the delivery was off. Or maybe it was the lines. At any rate, it was nice to see a few unconventional shocks (a main character dies, former sumotori Konishiki in a bathhouse, bracingly not-too-cheesy storyline about being true to yourself and dealing with your mistakes, a surprise cameo and car mod –is he racing stock?!– at the end). And when it was too predictable, at least they filled it with loud music and girls in tight skirts.. and oh yes, a bunch of modified cars, which is the point, right?
HE SAID:
I hated the first Fast and the Furious. Its “undercover in the quasi-ghetto” storyline, action involving cg cars, and Rob Cohen’s inept direction enticed me about as much as a wet diaper. The second entry, 2 Fast 2 Furious, managed a few more practical car stunts, an undercover gay brotherhood storyline (second only to SWAT), and marginally better direction by John Singleton, but still left me regretting the lost two hours of my life. So, to say I had low expectations going into this third entry would be an understatement. But you know what? Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift is actually the first Fast and the Furious film to live up to its namesake. In fact, it’s a darn good racing film.
Justin Lin garnered quite a bit of fame a few years back with the amazing indie phenomenon, Better Luck Tomorrow. His follow up film, the terrible Tyrese and James Franco vehicle, Annapolis, all but decimated his following. But with Tokyo Drift, Lin is back on top. Any fears he had become another Hollywood hack should subside after witnessing this baby.
Lin does near everything in his power to make this film a genuinely good film, rather than just a Fast and the Furious film. Most important was Lin’s wise decision to abandon the CG stunt-work of the previous entries. His omnipresent camera captures the action from all angles possible; street level, bird’s eye view, and everything in between. As such, the races have a palpable intensity completely absent from most race sequences today. All drifts were performed by professional drivers. All flipping, crashing, careening cars, whether in the tract home construction site or Tokyo garages, are all real. Sure, there are a few cg transitions on the mountaintop, but these are just used to connect actual stunt footage on different parts of the track. And to give you an idea of the danger involved in most of these stunts, take a look at this: the production totaled over 100 cars in the making of the film.
Lin also can’t resist the occasional stabs at social commentary. Take a look at the opening credits’ upper-crust high-school sequence for instance. As a DJ Shadow remix blares through the speakers, a sea of white faces surround a piñata shaped like a Native American, complete with headdress. They gleefully beat it down, the camera then focusing on a line of blonde and blue eyed cheerleaders. Whoo boy. It’s blatant, but ballsy. Lin also manages to pepper the film with references to other great cinematic races, from both the west and the east, classic and new. Immediately recognizable are nods to American Graffitti and Initial D, making this the first Fast and the Furious to display a cinematic rather than purely pop-culture knowledge.
There are a few spotty performances here and there, but as the radio station DJ said before the screening “you watch these films for the cars and the women.” Acting is superfluous. That said, the story was pretty decent. I did like some of the philosophy spouted by Sung Kang’s Han (perhaps the same Han from Better Luck Tomorrow?), and lead Lucas Black and supporter Bow Wow did quite an admirable job given the material. Fans of Japanese cult cinema will enjoy Sonny Chiba’s appearance as a coolly menacing Yakuza boss, and dudes just seeking to watch hot chicks will certainly go home happy. All in all: a truly awesome summer ride.
Fun fact: The film was shot on location in Japan, with a few of the street and garage scenes in LA. How to tell the difference? Look for the girls that look like transvestites. That’s LA.
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