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SCMP Reporter

THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT

Director: Justin Lin

Starring: Lucas Black, Nathalie Kelley, Bow Wow, Brian Tee, Sung Kang, Jason Tobin

The story: The film is the latest instalment of the Fast and the Furious series. It tells the story of a young outcast (Black) who gets into trouble with the authorities for drag racing. He is sent to Tokyo to live with his estranged father.

There, he  gets involved in  the underground world of drift racing -  speeding and gliding through a heart-stopping course of hairpin bends and switchbacks. Drama ensues as he falls for the girlfriend (Kelley, pictured left) of a local racing champ who has ties with the Yakuza.

Why bother: We all occasionally enjoy flirting with danger, and racing fans should enjoy the high-speed action.

Film studies: Almost every Hong Kong action film in the 1980s and 90s has some high-octane action sequences. Here are three movies that may fulfil your need for speed.

Thunderbolt (1995): Jackie Chan's auto-racing action film is one of the most expensive flops in Hong Kong motion picture history. A lack of unity and style was to be expected, however, given that the film is directed by  four filmmakers: Gordon Chan Ka-seung (as director), Sammo Hung Kam-po (as action director), Frankie Chan Fun-kay (as racing car director) and Chan (as martial arts director).

The stupid but somewhat funny film has  Chan's character racing a villain who has kidnapped his sisters. The action comes  to a lavish but pointless climax with  expensive racing cars running into each other on a Japanese track.

Full Throttle (1995): Also  released in 1995, this film  is a much better and more emotional offering than Chan's mindless action flick. Directed by Derek Yee Tung-shing, it tells the story of three characters caught in a love triangle: a young rebel (Andy Lau Tak-wah), his girlfriend (Gigi Leung Wing-kay), and his motorbike.

The  film  explores the clash between  responsibility and passion. Its racing scenes are scant but well executed and the script is carefully crafted to  flesh out the characters with interesting details.

Initial D (2005): Andrew Lau Wai-keung and Alan Mak Siu-fai, the co-directors of the Infernal Affairs trilogy, have produced a glossy action drama adapted from the popular manga of the same name.

The story is about a high-school student (Jay Chou Jie-lun) who is a great racer - a talent that he has inherited from his alcoholic single dad (Anthony Wong Chau-sang).



Movie buff