Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
| Year: | 2006 |
| Director: | Justin Lin |
| Cast: | Lucas Black, Bow Wow |
A teen movie dream – as long as you're a teen who's never seen a movie before.
Once promising Lucas Black (the kid from American Gothic all those years ago, he was also the kid who fell in the hole at the beginning of the X Files movie and has gone on to appear in good films like Friday Night Lights) is a typical rebellious tearaway street racer sent to Japan to live with his military father after one too many brushes with the law.
There it's a matter of ticking the boxes; meet the cute girl with the wholesome heart who doesn't dress like quite as much of a slut as the rest of the ho's so you know he can get serious about her because she's a nice girl – check. Meet the funny sidekick (Bow Wow – not very Li'l any more) who serves as story exposition for us – check. Make enemies with the local heavies (the nice girl is of course the girlfriend of the nasty leader) – check. The 60 second montage as the hero learns the new skill that will allow him to save the day – check.
Wrap it all up in chicks dressed like hookers (Japanese schoolgirls too – is there a more market-friendly hook for teen boys?), illegal street racing and hotted up Japanese cars and you have an instantly saleable package to the undiscriminating bonehead.
You've seen it before – over and over and over and over and over and over again.
Once promising Lucas Black (the kid from American Gothic all those years ago, he was also the kid who fell in the hole at the beginning of the X Files movie and has gone on to appear in good films like Friday Night Lights) is a typical rebellious tearaway street racer sent to Japan to live with his military father after one too many brushes with the law.
There it's a matter of ticking the boxes; meet the cute girl with the wholesome heart who doesn't dress like quite as much of a slut as the rest of the ho's so you know he can get serious about her because she's a nice girl – check. Meet the funny sidekick (Bow Wow – not very Li'l any more) who serves as story exposition for us – check. Make enemies with the local heavies (the nice girl is of course the girlfriend of the nasty leader) – check. The 60 second montage as the hero learns the new skill that will allow him to save the day – check.
Wrap it all up in chicks dressed like hookers (Japanese schoolgirls too – is there a more market-friendly hook for teen boys?), illegal street racing and hotted up Japanese cars and you have an instantly saleable package to the undiscriminating bonehead.
You've seen it before – over and over and over and over and over and over again.