The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)

Fast and the Furious Rebrands

Sean and Han

Tokyo Drift is arguably one of the weakest instalments in the Fast/Furious Franchise.  However, some advantages come along with it's rebranding of the series.  

For one thing this movie had almost 3 times the budget of the original, which makes for better special effects.  The best of which would be the impressive mountain race at the end with the twists and turns and cameras falling over the edge.  It is pretty exhilarating.  

Sung Kang as Jedi Han

Secondly you're introduced to another series regular.  If I had it my way every movie would have a laid back pilot named Han.  Sung Kang is one of the film's better actors and becomes a part of the group in later films to help tie this movie to the rest of the franchise.  Han is calm and collected, funny and easily the best part of this threequel.  

Bow Wow as lame American friend

Thirdly you get to watch Lil' Bow Wow get his ass kicked.  Sorry, sorry, it's Bow Wow by this point, although I failed to witness a growth spurt.  His character is alright I guess.  A nerdy sidekick for Lucas Black to defend at school and speak english with.

Let's talk about Lucas Black for a minute.  Who the hell chose this guy?  Was it because the words "Dukes of Hazzard" was mentioned by Tyrese in the previous film?  So the obvious choice was a good ole boy?  He's not even an undercover cop!  That would have made this a little more interesting I think.

Beyond that you get the same old same old, but in Japan (seeing some of the cultural differences is interesting at least).  Pretty people, car chases, crime drama, vroom vroom.  It has its moments, but it hardly holds up to Vin and his crew taking down a Mack truck, or Paul and Tyrese fooling the Feds as well as a mobster and jumping a muscle car onto a yacht.  This movie is the flat tire of the franchise.