The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
Reviewed by Brenna on June 21, 2006
What do you do when your teenage son just can't seem to stay out of trouble? Why, you send him to Japan of course. In much the same way pornography generally consists of a laughable plot serving as the lead-in to naked bodies, The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift relies upon tenuous jumps in logic to showcase hot cars, organized crime, and Japanese schoolgirls in very small skirts.
When compulsive street-racer Shawn Boswell (played by Lucas Black, an actor who has previously appeared in a number of not-terrible movies, but who seems to have suffered a recent breakdown in judgment) is charged with yet another count of reckless driving, his mother adopts the only reasonable course of action: she puts him on a plane to Tokyo. There, under the less-than-watchful eye of his estranged father, Shawn immediately becomes involved in the culture of Japanese street racing, a bizarre medley of clutch-kicking and hand-breaking known as—wait for it—drifting.
The ingredients of this coming-of-age tale include a low-level gangster, dozens of expensive cars, a girl who is little more than the bone to a pair of dogs, and a questionable mentor who spouts aphorisms like a cheap prophet. In addition, rapper Bow Wow appears at crucial intervals to advance the plot by explaining things and introducing Shawn into situations where he might get shot. In fact, these episodes of unexplained violence arise far more often than one would expect. It's fascinating to have the opportunity to learn about other cultures. For instance, in Japan it's apparently customary to greet people by punching them in the face.
Stepping up to direct this latest installment in the Fast/Furious franchise is relative newcomer Justin Lin, the man behind the perfectly decent Better Luck Tomorrow. Unfortunately for Lin, his competent directorial skills are no match for Chris Morgan and Alfredo Botello's terrible script. Lamentably heavy on story, the film slogs through adolescent sensitivity and angst while still managing to display a complete disregard for human life and property. As the characters rail incessantly against their various lots in life, I never thought I'd say it, but: Less talking, more driving.
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