When it was released in 2006, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift was overlooked by many, but it has since become a favorite for longtime fans of the franchise. After the first film was a hit, the sequel had to move on without star Vin Diesel and then Paul Walker also didn’t return for this third installment. Add in the lack of Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster, and it was easy to see why some thought Tokyo Drift was the series running on fumes.
The franchise brought back its big stars for future entries and those have gone on to become some of the biggest modern movie blockbusters. That said, so many people still come back to Tokyo Drift as either their favorite or as the Fast and Furious installment that they consider to be the best. The somewhat timeless nature of the film is part of its popularity but it has a lot more going for it.
Tokyo Drift Was The Last Fast & Furious To Still Focus On Street Racing
The Series Has Almost Become Superhero Fare
Considering the stakes in the recent Fast and Furious movies, it’s hard to realize that the stakes were so low in the original. Back then, it was a grounded, street-level tale involving small-time crooks, street racing, and stealing electronic goods. Now, the world is in peril almost every time the characters get together, and while those adventures are fun and bring big crowds to the theater, many fans yearn for the simpler days.
The focus being on street racing is also key, especially since this film delivers on drifting scenes that are just flat out cool.
Tokyo Drift is the final film in the series to feel so small and that’s a good thing. It’s the kind of realistic thing that’s easy to latch onto as a viewer, which hasn’t been the case in recent years. The focus being on street racing is also key, especially since this film delivers on drifting scenes that are just flat out cool. Between this franchise and video games like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Need for Speed Underground, having cars that look this good added to the cool factor.
At no point in this movie does any character feel superhuman. There isn’t anyone simply flexing their muscles to bust out of a cast, nor is there anything doing something that’s totally unrealistic or overly dangerous and walking away like nothing happened. It’s the kind of thing that Fast and Furious can never really go back to as a franchise, meaning Tokyo Drift gets extra nostalgia points.
Han Was First Introduced In Tokyo Drift
He’s One Of The Franchise’s Most Popular Characters
While there are plenty of good things going for Tokyo Drift, the highlight of the movie is the introduction of Han Lue (Sung Kang). He starts the film as the business partner of the antagonist Takashi but befriends protagonist Sean Boswell and teaches him to drift. From Kang’s cool portrayal to the character’s almost aloof nature, Han immediately stood out as the person to pay the most attention to in the movie.
Han was so beloved that he was brought back for Fast & Furious, Fast Five, and Fast & Furious 6, as they’re all prequels from before his death.
He’s so likable that, despite only being around for about half a movie, his death was one of the series’ saddest moments. Thankfully, when the movie ends with Dom showing up in a surprise cameo and telling Sean that Han was family, the audience gets a chance to see that. Han was so beloved that he was brought back for Fast & Furious, Fast Five, and Fast & Furious 6, as they’re all prequels from before his death.
In fact, Han remained so popular that the franchise went one step further and revealed that Han was actually alive. The #JusticeForHan movement led to him returning officially in F9, Fast X, and he’ll be in the upcoming 11th installment. Fans even want another prequel with Han as the lead. That’s an impressive run that proves how impressive the popularity of Tokyo Drift is.
Japan Is Its Own Character
It Has The Best Setting In The Series
There’s no doubt that Fast and Furious is a globe-trotting franchise. They’ve gone to Moscow, Abu Dhabi, Antarctica, Rio de Janeiro, the Dominican Republic, and more. However, Tokyo Drift was the first entry where the setting felt special. While Japan isn’t anything new for a movie setting, it felt so different from Los Angeles and Miami in the first two films in the best way.
Japan becomes its own character as the city looks beautiful, the car culture from the country is a central point, and the community of drivers feels realistic. It helps that while later entries travel to multiple locations, Tokyo is given ample time to become a place that the audience falls in love with. It’s the one installment of the franchise where it feels like the location actually matters and isn’t just a backdrop.
Justin Lin Is The Best Fast And Furious Director
He’s Become Synonymous With The Franchise
Other than Han’s character, the best thing to come from Tokyo Drift in the long term was that Justin Lin directed the film. This marked a breakout for Lin after previously helming Better Luck Tomorrow and Annapolis. Following the success of Tokyo Drift, Lin became the go-to filmmaker for this series as he directed Fast & Furious, Fast Five, and Fast & Furious 6, with the latter two being among the best-reviewed entries.
He returned for F9 and acted as both writer and producer for Fast X but bowed out of directing it due to creative differences. Clearly, Justin Lin’s fingerprints are all over the series and he was the guy leading the way as it went from a successful series to one of the biggest box office franchises in history. This was all made possible by his exquisite work on Tokyo Drift, setting the stage for the future of Fast and Furious.
AloJapan.com