This film may be part of the 'Fast and the Furious' series but, apart from a brief cameo, it features an entirely different cast. Instead of being centred on undercover cop Brian O'Conner it follows teenager Sean Boswell who is sent to live with his father in Tokyo after destroying his car in a street race. His father forbids him from having anything to do with cars but it isn't long before a classmate introduces him to the local 'drift racing' scene. Here he has a run in with DK, the best racer and nephew of a local Yakuza, who isn't happy about Sean talking to his girlfriend. Sean challenges him to a race and DK's friend Han Seoul-Oh lends him a car
which he promptly destroys; if he is going to race he will have to learn how to drift. Han teaches him how to drift while Sean works for him to earn the money to pay for the wrecked car. It isn't long before DK and Han's friendship ends when it becomes apparent that Han has been skimming money. This ultimately puts Sean in his sights; Tokyo isn't big enough for the both of them; a drift race down a treacherous mountain road will determine who stays.
At first I was a little bit disappointed that the character Brian O'Conner wasn't in this as the first two films were about him. New character Sean Boswell is entertaining and Lucas Black does a good job in the role even though he looks too old to be in high school I can't think why they didn't make the character older as that would have also have avoided the ludicrous idea that an American teen who doesn't speak a word of Japanese would go to a Tokyo high school. Still this film is all about the characters racing their cars and the race scenes are exciting; this is particularly true of the final race down what looked like the most dangerous road in Japan. The appearance of Sonny Chiba as DK's Yakuza uncle was enjoyable and a cameo from a familiar character should leave fans very happy as the film comes to an end. Overall I enjoyed this as good mindless fun even though it is weaker than the first two films.
At first I was a little bit disappointed that the character Brian O'Conner wasn't in this as the first two films were about him. New character Sean Boswell is entertaining and Lucas Black does a good job in the role even though he looks too old to be in high school I can't think why they didn't make the character older as that would have also have avoided the ludicrous idea that an American teen who doesn't speak a word of Japanese would go to a Tokyo high school. Still this film is all about the characters racing their cars and the race scenes are exciting; this is particularly true of the final race down what looked like the most dangerous road in Japan. The appearance of Sonny Chiba as DK's Yakuza uncle was enjoyable and a cameo from a familiar character should leave fans very happy as the film comes to an end. Overall I enjoyed this as good mindless fun even though it is weaker than the first two films.