Nathalie Kelley

(In theaters, June 2006) There’s something about this series, I don’t know what, that hits all of the buttons that come pre-installed with the Y chromosome. I’m no car freak, and yet plunk me in front of a The Fast And The Furious instalment and watch me cheer over the hot cars, the race sequences and the kissing girls. (It’s not a Fast And Furious film if there are no kissing girls.) Here, the action takes us to Japan, a move that plays heavily on the cultural dissonance and the most outrageous aspects of Tokyo culture. Here, drift-racing clubs take on the air of an cosplay convention and some movie-magic transforms drifting from a tire-squealing risky manoeuvre to a romantic, even heroic endeavour. The film makes no sense, of course, but that scarcely matters once the action has begun. Yup, the hero is a moron; sure, he looks twenty-five; no, he couldn’t have done all of that without being Pearl-Haboured by the Yasuka. But who cares: There are cars, there are girls (whoo, Nathalie Kelley), there are races and there is plenty of fun. As a B-movie, it’s remarkably successful… and it’s even better than 2 Fast 2 Furious.

(Second viewing, On DVD, July 2007) A year later, this film holds up surprisingly well. Yes, the cars and the action scenes are still the only reason to see the film: The emphasis on drifting makes it feel fresh and original, and the script knows how to vary the thrills of the action sequences. On the other hand, well, the script is still as bland as it was in theatres, with too many incoherences to count and a final act that really misses Sung Kang as the film’s most intriguing character. But what makes the film hold together even as other cheap teen action films fade away is the unusual Tokyo setting, the rapid pacing and the go-for-broke modernity of the atmosphere where reggeaton, a southern white boy, a latina girl and American hip-hop all mix joyously in a Japanese setting. It almost makes one hopeful for the future of the younger generations. In the meantime, there’s still the cars, the girls and the terrific soundtrack to enjoy.

(Third viewing, Streaming, December 2025) The Fast and Furious franchise could have degenerated in a few direct-to-video follow-ups if it hadn’t been for director Justin Lin and the jolt of multicultural vitality that he brought to Tokyo Drift. Not only the film that saved the series, but the one that set it on the path it would follow to box-office blockbusting, it renews with easy watchability after the sometimes-laborious 2 Fast 2 Furious and goes back to strong character work — not to mention the cars and the driving. Though tepidly greeted by reviewers at the time, the film has appreciated in the nearly two decades since. The world is kinder to the kind of cross-cultural matter-of-fact diversity that Lin sought and the success of later films gives a halo effect to this installment — and nowhere as much than for Sung Kang’s cooler-than-cool Han, who (as the franchise’ history goes) single-handedly caused the series’ time-bending shenanigans and contributed to its ensemble-cast approach. Other aspects work well too: Lin’s direction is well-tuned even from the film’s first few moments, the soundtrack is exceptional and the sheer fun of the whole thing can’t be underestimated. It’s not perfect, mind you: Lin was still inexperienced as a director, and the film’s third act is noticeably weaker than it should be. But it was the right film at the right time for the series, and it’s still quite enjoyable now.