The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift#Music

In Oro Valley, Arizona, high school troublemaker Sean Boswell races classmate Clay in their respective cars, a 1971 Chevy Monte Carlo and a 2003 SRT-10 Dodge Viper, where they end up ramming each other with Clay crashing his Viper into a cylinder pipe and Sean winning the race and wrecking his Monte Carlo. While Clay's family wealth helps him escape punishment, Sean is sent to live with his father, a U.S. Navy lieutenant stationed in Tokyo, to avoid jail time, as he is a repeat offender. He also befriends military brat Twinkie, who introduces him to drift racing. Driving to an underground car meet in Twinkie's 2005 Hulk-themed Volkswagen Touran, Sean gets into a confrontation with Takashi, the Drift King (DK), over Takashi's girlfriend Neela. Sean agrees to race Takashi's Nissan Fairlady Z33 in a Silvia S15 Spec-S lent to him by retired drift racer Han Lue, only to lose and severely damage the Silvia due to his unfamiliarity with drifting.

To repay the debt, Sean agrees to work for Han. Han begins teaching drifting to Sean, whom he calls the only person ever to stand up to Takashi, who is connected to the yakuza through his uncle, Kamata. Sean masters the art, practicing in a 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, and gains further respect after defeating Takashi's lieutenant, Morimoto. Han and Sean become friends.

Sean eventually asks Neela out on a date; Neela explains that after her mother died, she moved in with Takashi's grandmother. An irate Takashi assaults Sean the next day, telling him to stay away from Neela. Neela leaves Takashi and moves in with Sean and Han.

After Kamata reprimands Takashi for allowing Han to steal from him, Takashi and Morimoto confront Han, Sean, and Neela, who flee after Twinkie creates a distraction. Takashi and Morimoto pursue the trio, with Morimoto crashing, and Han buying Sean and Neela time to escape. The chase ends when Sean and Neela's Lancer Evo IX crashes, while Han's 1994 Veilside RX-7 is broadsided by a 1992 Mercedes-Benz W140 S-Class sedan and then explodes. Takashi later draws a gun on Sean, but his father draws on Takashi; the standoff ends when Neela agrees to leave with Takashi. Sean and his father make amends, while Twinkie gives money to Sean to compensate Kamata for the stolen funds. Sean delivers the cash to Kamata and challenges Takashi to a drift, with the loser leaving Tokyo. Kamata agrees on the condition they downhill-drift a mountain pass that only Takashi has descended successfully. Sean and Han's crew restore a 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback that Sean's father recovered and tune it to drift specifications, making use of the engine and other components from the wrecked Silvia.

On the mountain, Takashi initially leads, but Sean's practice and training allow him to catch up. Desperate, Takashi rams Sean repeatedly. Takashi eventually misses, subsequently driving off a cliff and crashing as Sean crosses the finish line. Kamata honors his word, and Sean, dubbed the new Drift King, remains in Tokyo. Neela, Twinkie, and Sean, now driving a Nissan Silvia S15 Spec R, enjoy themselves at a car meet when Dominic Toretto arrives in a 1970 Plymouth Road Runner to challenge Sean to a race. Sean accepts after Dom proclaims Han was family.

{{main|List of Fast & Furious cast members|List of Fast & Furious characters}}

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• Lucas Black as Sean Boswell: A young man interested in street racing.
• Bow Wow as Twinkie: Sean's first friend he meets in Tokyo, who sells various consumer goods and introduces Sean to drift racing.
• Sung Kang as Han Lue: DK's business partner and old friend of Dominic Toretto, who befriends Sean and teaches him how to drift.
• Brian Tee as Takashi: Sean's enemy who is acknowledged as the best drift racer and given the title "Drift King", or simply "D.K.".
• Nathalie Kelley as Neela: Takashi's girlfriend who later falls for Sean.
• Sonny Chiba (credited as JJ Sonny Chiba) as Kamata: Takashi's uncle who is the head of the yakuza.
• Leonardo Nam as Morimoto: Takashi's right-hand man.
• Brian Goodman as Lieutenant Boswell: Sean's father.
• Zachery Ty Bryan as Clay: The quarterback of Sean's school whom Sean races at the beginning of the film.
• Lynda Boyd as Ms. Boswell: Sean's mother who is fed up with moving them around and sends him to Tokyo, Japan to live with his father.
• Jason Tobin as Earl: One of Han's friends who specializes in tuning the cars, along with Reiko.
• Keiko Kitagawa as Reiko: Earl's friend and fellow tuner.
• Nikki Griffin as Cindy: Clay's girlfriend, who suggests that Clay and Sean race to win her.
• Satoshi Tsumabuki as Exceedingly Handsome Guy: Who starts the first race between Sean and Takashi (cameo)
• Keiichi Tsuchiya as an elderly fisherman (uncredited cameo)
• Kazutoshi Wadakura as an elderly fisherman (uncredited cameo)
• Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto (uncredited cameo)

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Han Lue went on to make a brief appearance in Fast & Furious before returning as a main character in Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, F9 and Fast X. Sean Boswell, Twinkie and Earl also returned to the series in F9. During the events of F9, Boswell, Twinkie and Earl had left Japan and were involved in rocket development in Germany.{{Cite web |last=McGuire |first=Keegan |date=2021-06-29 |title=F9 Finally Shows What Happened To Sean Boswell After Tokyo Drift |url=https://www.looper.com/450077/f9-finally-shows-what-happened-to-sean-boswell-after-tokyo-drift/ |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=Looper}} How they came from their circumstances of the Japanese drift scene to their work in the military industry is not explained in the series.{{Cite web |last=Noronha |first=Remus |date=2022-01-21 |title='Fast X': New Cast, Release Date, and Everything We Know So Far |url=https://collider.com/fast-furious-10-release-date-cast-plot-filming-details-more/ |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=Collider}} They are shown testing rockets by attaching them to the top of motor vehicles,{{Cite web |last=David |first=Jamil |date=2021-06-29 |title=F9 Reveals What Happened to Sean After Tokyo Drift |url=https://www.cbr.com/f9-reveals-what-happened-to-sean-after-tokyo-drift/ |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=CBR}} which came to use in F9.

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| quote = "After I'd seen Better Luck Tomorrow, I knew Justin was a director I wanted to do business with. He was the first we approached, and he loved the idea of filming it. This movie needed enthusiasm, and he was the director to do it."

| source = Producer Neal H. Moritz{{Cite news | title=The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift | publisher=Writing studio | date=2008-04-21 | url=http://www.writingstudio.co.za/page1260.html | access-date=2013-02-09 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071029205833/http://www.writingstudio.co.za/page1260.html | archive-date=2007-10-29 }}

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{{Anchor|Writing}}

Writer Chris Morgan was a fan of the Fast & Furious series, and the producers had an open writing call for the third film. Morgan originally pitched Dominic Toretto in Tokyo, learning to drift and solving a murder, but Universal Pictures wanted a high school-themed story.{{cite web |date=11 April 2017 |author=Mike Ryan |title=Vin Diesel Was Written As The Star Of 'Fast And Furious: Tokyo Drift' |url=https://uproxx.com/movies/the-fast-and-the-furious-tokyo-drift/ |website=UPROXX }}

By 2005, Paul Walker, who played Brian O'Conner in the first two installments, no longer showed interest in the franchise, citing "politics, studio stuff and regime decision".{{Cite web |date=2015-04-06 |title=How Paul Walker nearly quit the 'Furious' franchise |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-paul-walker-furious-death-20150406-story.html |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} Vin Diesel, who didn't appear already in the second movie and at the time was busy with the xXx and The Chronicles of Riddick franchises, also turned down the role, leading the film being ordered as a new stand-alone reboot.{{Cite web |date=2017-04-11 |title=Vin Diesel Was Written As The Star Of 'Fast And Furious: Tokyo Drift' |url=https://uproxx.com/movies/the-fast-and-the-furious-tokyo-drift/ |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=UPROXX |language=en-US}}

Neal H. Moritz, who had produced the two previous installments, began working on the film in 2005. In June 2005, Moritz hired Justin Lin to direct it. Lin, who wasn't intimately familiar with drifting at the time, recalled, "I was in film school when The Fast and the Furious came out, and I saw it along with a sold-out crowd who just ate it up. What really excited me about directing this film was the chance to harness that energy{{emdash}}create a whole new chapter and up the ante by bringing something new to the table for the audience who loves action and speed." Lin was not enthusiastic at first and was unimpressed by earlier drafts of the script, saying, "I think it's offensive and dated, and I don't have any intention of doing it." The producers allowed him to develop the film in his own way, although it was a constant challenge and he was always battling Universal to make the film better, but Lin said that "to their credit, they were very fair and reasonable."{{cite web |date= 8 June 2006 |last= Yang |first= Jeff |title= ASIAN POP / Switching Gears |url= https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/ASIAN-POP-Switching-Gears-3300040.php |website= SFGate }}

{{Anchor|Filming|Locations}}

It was impossible to get the necessary filming permits in Tokyo, so they went ahead without permission. According to Lin, "I wanted to shoot in Shibuya, which is the most crowded place in Tokyo. The cops, they're all so polite, so it takes ten minutes for them to come over and kick you out." Unknown to Lin, the studio had hired a fall guy, who stepped in when the police came to arrest him, and said he was the director and spent the night in jail instead.{{cite web |date= 10 April 2009 |last= Reynolds |first= Simon |title= 'F&F' director got man arrested in Tokyo |url= https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a152322/ff-director-got-man-arrested-in-tokyo/ |website= Digital Spy }}

Following respectable test screenings of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Universal still felt it needed a star cameo appearance; Vin Diesel agreed to reprise his role as Dominic Toretto for a brief cameo, in exchange for Universal's ownership to rights of the Riddick character, in lieu of financial payment.{{Cite web |last=Lang |first=Brent |date=2013-05-22 |title=How an Extreme Movie Makeover Saved 'Fast & Furious' From Going Direct to DVD |url=https://www.thewrap.com/fast-furious-6-franchise-vin-diesel-the-rock-dwayne-johnson-paul-walker-michelle-rodriquez-93061/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427141020/https://www.thewrap.com/fast-furious-6-franchise-vin-diesel-the-rock-dwayne-johnson-paul-walker-michelle-rodriquez-93061/ |archive-date=2017-04-27 |access-date=2022-09-06 |website=TheWrap}}{{cite web |date=September 4, 2013 |author=Borys Kit |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/vin-diesel-traded-fast-furious-619386 |title=Vin Diesel's Shrewd Move: Trading 'Fast & Furious' Cameo to Own 'Riddick' Rights |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=August 20, 2022 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/david-twohy-riddick_n_3860636 | title=How Vin Diesel Made an Indie Movie | date=September 3, 2013 }}

File:Mazda rx7 veilside.jpg

Races and stunts were coordinated by Terry J. Leonard, who also served as second unit director. The film used almost 250 vehicles, cutting up 25 and destroying more than 80.{{cite web |date=June 16, 2006 |author=Kenneth Turan |author-link=Kenneth Turan |title=calendarlive.com: MOVIES REVIEW - 'The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift' |url=http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-et-fast16jun16,0,3949440.story |website=Los Angeles Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060618010334/http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-et-fast16jun16,0,3949440.story |archive-date=2006-06-18 |url-status=dead }}

The Nissan Silvia which Sean trashes in his first race in Japan is depicted as having an RB26DETT engine swap which itself is donated to the Ford Mustang. However, the car in the movie was actually powered by the Silvia's original engine.{{cite web | date= 16 Jun 2006 |author=Justin Kaehler |title=The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift Car of the Day: Han's S15 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/06/16/the-fast-and-the-furious-tokyo-drift-car-of-the-day-hans-s15 |website=IGN}} The Veilside body-kitted Mazda RX-7, (dubbed "Fortune"), driven by Han was originally built by Veilside for the 2005 Tokyo Auto Salon, but was later bought by Universal and repainted from dark red, to orange and black, for use in the movie.{{cite web |author=Justin Kaehler |url=http://cars.ign.com/articles/712/712399p1.html |title=The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift Car of the Day: VeilSide RX-7 |website=IGN Cars |access-date=June 19, 2020 |date=June 13, 2006 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708084429/http://cars.ign.com/articles/712/712399p1.html |archive-date=July 8, 2012 }} The car in which Dominic appears in at the end of the film is a highly customized 1970 Plymouth Road Runner, which was built for the SEMA Show.{{cite web |title=Hammer |url=https://www.purevisiondesign.com/rides/projects/hammer.html |website=Pure Vision }}

SCC magazine tested the cars of the film, and noted that the cars in Tokyo Drift were slightly faster in an acceleration match up with the cars from 2 Fast 2 Furious.{{cite magazine |last=Huffman |first=John Pearley |date=July 2006 |title=Fast, Furious, & Drifting |url=http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/toc/thismonth/ |magazine=Sport Compact Car |pages=56–92 |issn=1062-9629 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060707125141/http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/toc/thismonth/ |archive-date=7 July 2006 |url-status=dead}}

Notable drifting personalities Keiichi Tsuchiya (who also made an uncredited cameo in the film), Rhys Millen, and Samuel Hübinette were consulted and employed by the movie to provide and execute the drifting and driving stunts in the film.{{cite web | url = http://media.filmforce.ign.com/media/665/665274/vid_1535879.html | title = The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift Video 1535879 | work = IGN | publisher = News Corporation }}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}} Nobushige Kumakubo, Kazuhiro Tanaka, Tanner Foust, Rich Rutherford, Calvin Wan and Alex Pfeiffer were also brought in as none of Universal's own stunt drivers could drift.{{cite magazine |last=Wong |first=Jonathan |date=September 2006 |title=Interrogation Room: What up, Toshi? |magazine=Super Street |publisher=Motor Trend Group |page=116 |issn=1093-071X}} Some racing events were filmed within the Hawthorne Mall parking lot in Los Angeles, as filming in Tokyo required permits the studio was unable to obtain.{{cite web |author=Huffman |first=John Pearley |date=June 9, 2006 |title=The Drifting Drivers and Stuntmen of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift |url=http://www.insideline.com:80/features/drift-and-driven.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106121806/http://www.insideline.com:80/features/drift-and-driven.html |archive-date=2010-01-06 |website=Inside Line |publisher=Edmunds}} They instead used street lights and multiple props to help recreate Tokyo.

Toshi Hayama was also brought in to keep elements of the film portrayed correctly, who was contacted by Roger Fan, an old high school friend who starred in Lin's Better Luck Tomorrow. Hayama ensured certain references were deployed correctly, such as the use of nitrous oxide in straights but not in turns, and keeping the use of references to sponsors to a minimum. One of Kamata's henchmen has missing fingers, a punishment typically deployed by the yakuza. He had to have the missing fingers digitally added in to appease cultural concerns.

{{Main|The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (soundtrack)}}

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, composed of 12 songs, was released on June 20, 2006, through Universal Motown. It features contributions from Don Omar, Teriyaki Boyz, Atari Teenage Riot, Brian Tyler, DJ Shadow, Dragon Ash, Evil Nine, Far East Movement, Mos Def, N⋆E⋆R⋆D, Tego Calderón and The 5.6.7.8's. Brian Tyler's Original Score was released on June 27 via Varèse Sarabande, a week after Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

Tokyo Drift brought in over $23 million on its opening weekend, placing at #3 behind Cars ($33.7 million) and Nacho Libre ($28.3 million).{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed3380085764/ |title=Flagging 'Cars' Pins Chipper 'Nacho' |website=Box Office Mojo |date=June 19, 2006 |access-date=April 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401172239/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed3380085764/ |archive-date=April 1, 2022 |url-status=live}}[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/2006W24/?ref_=bo_rl_table_1 Domestic 2006 Weekend 24: June 16-18, 2006]. Box Office Mojo The film itself was in limited release in Japan (released under the name Wild Speed 3). The US box office was $62,514,415, and it grossed another $96,450,195 internationally, resulting in total receipts of $158,964,610. According to opening weekend polling by Universal the audience was 58% male and 60% under 25.

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift gained a 38% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on reviews from 141 critics; the average rating is 5/10. The site's consensus reads: "Eye-popping driving sequences coupled with a limp story and flat performances make this Drift a disappointing follow-up to previous Fast and Furious installments."{{cite web |url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fast_and_the_furious_3_tokyo_drift/ |title= The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift reviews |work= Rotten Tomatoes |publisher= Fandango Media |access-date= March 20, 2025}} On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 45 out of 100 based on reviews from 32 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".{{cite web | url = https://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/fastandthefurioustokyodrift | title = The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift reviews | work = Metacritic | publisher = CBS }}{{cite web |url= https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5490813 |title= Slate's Summary Judgment: 'Tokyo Drift,' 'The Lake House,' 'Nacho Libre' |last= Legan |first= Mark Jordan |work= NPR |date= 2006-06-16 |access-date= 2020-05-09 |quote= The critics are also split on this one.}} Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade A− on a scale of A to F.{{cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title= FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT, THE (2006) A- |work= CinemaScore |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= 2018-12-20 }}{{cite news |date=19 June 2006 |author=Josh Friedman |title='Cars' Still Outpacing Competitors |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-jun-19-fi-cars19-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |quote=“Our movie has no stars -- the cars are the stars.” She also pointed to the movie’s rating of A-minus in audience surveys by CinemaScore.}}

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praised the film, giving it three out of four stars, saying that director Justin Lin "takes an established franchise and makes it surprisingly fresh and intriguing", adding that Tokyo Drift is "more observant than we expect" and that "the story [is] about something more than fast cars".{{cite web | date= June 16, 2006|first= Roger |last= Ebert |author-link= Roger Ebert |title= The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift movie review (2006) |url= https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-fast-and-the-furious-tokyo-drift-2006 |website= Chicago Sun-Times }} Michael Sragow of The Baltimore Sun felt that "the opening half-hour may prove to be a disreputable classic of pedal-to-the-metal filmmaking" and "the last downhill race is a doozy."{{cite news |date= 28 June 2006 |author= Michael Sragow |title=Third time's a charm for 'The Fast and the Furious' |url= http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/movies/bal-to.furious16jun16,0,1459475.story?coll=bal-movies-utility |newspaper=Baltimore Sun |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060628053225/http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/movies/bal-to.furious16jun16,0,1459475.story?coll=bal-movies-utility |archive-date= 2006-06-28 |url-status= dead}}Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter said that "it's not much of a movie, but a hell of a ride".{{Cite web |last=Honeycutt |first=Kirk |date=June 14, 2006 |title=Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/reviews/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002652631 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060719060921/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/reviews/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002652631 |archive-date=2006-07-19 |access-date=2022-08-22 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}} Todd McCarthy of Variety gave the film a positive review and praised the "good, old-fashioned genre filmmaking done in a no-nonsense, unpretentious style", adding it "stays in high gear most of the way with several exhilarating racing sequences, and benefits greatly from the evocative Japanese setting". McCarthy particularly praised the work of stunt coordinator Terry Leonard.{{cite web |date=14 June 2006 |last=McCarthy |first=Todd |author-link=Todd McCarthy |title=The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift |url=https://variety.com/review/VE1117930794 |website=Variety }}

Michael Medved gave Tokyo Drift one and a half stars out of four, saying: "There's no discernible plot, or emotion, or humor, but the final race is well-staged and nicely shot... The main achievement of this vapid time-waster involves its promotion of new appreciation for the first two movies in the series."{{cite web |last=Medved |first=Michael |author-link=Michael Medved |date=21 June 2006 |title=Review |url=https://www.michaelmedved.com/pg/jsp/eot/review.jsp?pid=2865 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061022081745/https://www.michaelmedved.com/pg/jsp/eot/review.jsp?pid=2865 |archive-date=2006-10-22 |website=MichaelMedved.com}} James Berardinelli wrote: "When it comes to eye candy, the film is on solid ground{{emdash}}it offers plenty of babes and cars (with the latter being more lovingly photographed than the former). However, it is unacceptable that the movie's action scenes (races and chases) are boring and incoherent. If the movie can't deliver on its most important asset, what's the point?"{{Cite web |last=Berardinelli |first=James |author-link=James Berardinelli |title=Review: Fast and the Furious, The: Tokyo Drift |url=https://preview.reelviews.net/movies/f/fast_furious3.html |access-date=2022-09-15 |website=Reel Views}} Richard Roeper strongly criticized the film, saying, "The whole thing is preposterous. The acting is so awful, some of the worst performances I've seen in a long, long time."{{cite web |last=Roper |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Roeper |date=July 18, 2006 |title=Review |url=http://tvplex.go.com/buenavista/ebertandroeper/mp3/060619-fast_and_the_furious_tokyo_drift.mp3 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061027230355/http://tvplex.go.com/buenavista/ebertandroeper/mp3/060619-fast_and_the_furious_tokyo_drift.mp3 |archive-date=27 October 2006 |work=At the Movies}} Ethan Alter of Premiere magazine was particularly critical of Black's character: "during the course of this movie, Sean makes so many dumb decisions it's a wonder that anyone wants to be associated with him."{{cite web |date=2006 |author= Ethan Alter |title=The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift |url=http://www.premiere.com/article.asp?section_id=2&article_id=2889 |website=Premiere Magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060720225350/http://www.premiere.com/article.asp?section_id=2&article_id=2889 |archive-date=2006-07-20}} Peter Travers of Rolling Stone said that Tokyo Drift "suffers from blurred vision, motor drag and a plot that's running on fumes. Look out for a star cameo{{emdash}}it's the only surprise you'll get from this heap."{{cite magazine |date= June 19, 2006 |last= Travers |first= Peter |author-link= Peter Travers |title= Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift |url= https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/fast-and-the-furious-tokyo-drift-255908/ |magazine= Rolling Stone}} Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle thought "It quickly tanks, thanks to a lead character with no goals, focus, appeal or intelligence and a lead actor who's just a little too convincing at playing a dunce", adding: "As for the racing scenes, who cares about the finesse move of drifting, compared to going fast? And who wants to watch guys race in a parking lot?"{{cite web |date= 16 June 2006 |last=LaSalle |first=Mick |author-link= Mick LaSalle |title= All the excitement of parking-lot motoring |url= https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/All-the-excitement-of-parking-lot-motoring-2516935.php |website= San Francisco Chronicle}} Matt Singer of Village Voice called it "a subculture in search of a compelling story line, and Black's leaden performance makes you pine for the days of Paul Walker."{{cite web |date=2006 |author=Matt Singer |title=Tracking Shots 'The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/film/0625,various,73602,20.html |website=Village Voice |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060703192358/https://www.villagevoice.com/film/0625,various,73602,20.html |archive-date=2006-07-03 |url-status=dead }}

Rob Cohen, who directed the first film of the series, was very critical of this film, saying: "If you were to just watch Tokyo Drift, you'd say 'I never want to see anything related to Fast & Furious again.'"{{Cite web |date= October 8, 2012 |author= Kevin Jagernauth |title= Rob Cohen Hated The First Two 'Fast & Furious' Sequels Because They Were Just Done For The Money |url= https://www.indiewire.com/2012/10/rob-cohen-hated-the-first-two-fast-furious-sequels-because-they-were-just-done-for-the-money/ |work= IndieWire }}{{cite web |date= October 7, 2012 |author=Matt Joseph |title=Rob Cohen Offers xXx Update, Wants To Direct Fast And Furious Again |url=https://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/rob-cohen-offers-xxx-update-direct-fast-furious/ |website=We Got This Covered }}

{{Anchor|Retrospective response}}

In critics' rankings of the series, Tokyo Drift had in the past often appeared on the bottom of the list. However, over time it has been seen more favorably, and was ranked second best in a list of all the Fast movies by IndieWire,{{Cite web |last=Ehrlich |first=David |date=2017-04-10 |title=All 8 'Fast And Furious' Movies, Ranked From Worst to Best |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2017/04/the-fast-and-furious-movies-ranked-worst-to-best-fate-of-the-furious-vin-diesel-1201803720/ |access-date=2022-10-29 |website=IndieWire}} The Washington Post,{{Cite news |last=Chu |first=Hau |date=June 24, 2021 |title=F9 Fast and the Furious Franchise Ranking |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2021/06/24/f9-fast-furious-franchise-ranking/ |newspaper=The Washington Post}} TheWrap,{{Cite web |last=Gilchrist |first=Todd |date=2021-06-24 |title=All 10 'Fast & Furious' Movies Ranked From Worst to Best (Photos) |url=https://www.thewrap.com/all-fast-furious-movies-ranked-from-worst-to-best-including-hobbs-shaw-photos/ |access-date=2022-10-29 |website=TheWrap}} Screen Rant,{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Kyle |date=2021-06-27 |title=Every Fast & Furious Movie Ranked From Worst to Best (Plus F10 Updates) |url=https://screenrant.com/every-fast-furious-movie-ranked-best-worst-box-office-f10/ |access-date=2022-10-29 |website=Screen Rant}} and Collider.{{cite web |author=Foutch |first=Haleigh |date=April 13, 2017 |title=Every 'Fast and Furious' Movie, Ranked |url=https://collider.com/fast-and-furious-movies-ranked/#tokyo-drift |work=Collider |quote=The most unfairly maligned of the Fast and Furious films}} Esquire magazine and BuzzFeed News both ranked it the best of the series.{{Cite web |last=Sintumuang |first=Kevin |date=2021-06-25 |title=Every Fast and the Furious Movie, Ranked |url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/g28580600/fast-and-the-furious-movies-ranked/ |access-date=2022-10-29 |website=Esquire}}{{cite web | date= April 3, 2015 | author= Alison Willmore | title = How "Furious 7" Stacks Up To The Other "Fast And Furious" Movies | work =BuzzFeed News |url = https://www.buzzfeed.com/alisonwillmore/one-last-ride |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150402223442/https://www.buzzfeed.com/alisonwillmore/one-last-ride | archive-date= 2015-04-02 | quote= The driving sequences in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift are also the series' most beautiful }}

It has become a favorite with car enthusiasts, seen as the film in the series most specifically dealing with car culture and focusing on cars themselves.{{Cite web |last=DaSilva |first=Steve |date=2021-12-08 |title=Hear Me Out: Tokyo Drift Is The Best 'Fast And Furious' Movie For Car People |url=https://jalopnik.com/hear-me-out-tokyo-drift-is-the-best-fast-and-furious-m-1848179088 |access-date=2022-08-22 |website=Jalopnik |publisher=G/O Media |quote=Tokyo Drift simply has more focus on the cars themselves.}}{{Cite magazine |last=Franich |first=Darren |date=April 17, 2017 |title=Every Fast & Furious movie, ranked |url=https://ew.com/gallery/fast-and-furious-movies-ranking/?slide=258365#258365 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |quote=this is the one that feels closest in spirit to genuine car culture}}{{Cite web |last=Chu |first=Li-Wei |date=2020-11-02 |title='Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift' remains a cultural touchstone, but it's not great |url=https://fromtheintercom.com/review-fast-and-furious-tokyo-drift/ |access-date=2022-10-30 |website=From the Intercom}} Critics and fans have come to appreciate Tokyo Drift for introducing Sung Kang and Justin Lin to the franchise, and enjoyed the simple story, stylish direction, and that the film never takes itself too seriously. As the film series became more elaborate and incorporated less realistic storylines including heists and spying, the relative simplicity of Tokyo Drift has become more appreciated by critics.{{cite magazine |author=C. Molly Smith |date=April 5, 2015 |title=In defense of 'The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift' |url=https://ew.com/article/2015/04/05/in-defense-fast-furious-tokyo-drift/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}}{{cite web |date=10 April 2020 |last=Sims |first=David |title=Unexpected Movie Masterpieces to Watch in Quarantine |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/04/30-underrated-films-watch-quarantine/609784/ |website=The Atlantic |quote=makes this one of the best in the franchise}} Tokyo Drift has been described as "the movie that kept the series alive" since "Vin Diesel abandoned his other projects, and came back{{emdash}}with Lin at the helm".{{cite news|title=Sung Kang's Road Home: How His Fast & Furious Character Became a Lightning Rod|url=http://www.gq.com/story/sung-kang-han-fast-and-furious-f9-profile#intcid=_gq-bottom-recirc_07a71b1e-553e-4f57-be1c-f0e3ea6c329d_cral2-2|work=GQ|date=June 23, 2021|first=Brendan|last=Klinkenberg}}

In a 2020 interview, Christopher Nolan said that although the first film was his favorite, he had a "soft spot" for Tokyo Drift.{{Cite web |date=2020-12-10 |author=Adam Chitwood |title=Christopher Nolan Loves 'Fast and Furious', Says He Has a "Soft Spot" for 'Tokyo Drift' |url=https://collider.com/christopher-nolan-fast-and-furious-tokyo-drift/ |website=Collider |access-date=2022-03-07 }}{{Cite web |title=Happy Sad Confused: Christopher Nolan, Vol. II on Apple Podcasts |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/christopher-nolan-vol-ii/id827905050?i=1000501794026 |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=Apple Podcasts }}

{{Anchor|Future|Continuity}}

{{Main article|Han Lue|Fast & Furious (2009 film)|Fast Five|Fast & Furious 6|Furious 7|F9 (film)}}

Tokyo Drift was mostly ignored in later films up until the direct sequel Furious 7, while the character Han Lue originally appeared as a short cameo from director Justin Lin’s Better Luck Tomorrow. After Han’s apparent death in Tokyo Drift, his character was retconned into Dominic Toretto’s crew for three subsequent sequels: Fast & Furious, Fast Five, and Fast & Furious 6, which are set before the events of Tokyo Drift.

Han’s death was revisited in Fast & Furious 6, revealing that his fatal crash was intentional. In Furious 7, it was also revealed that Deckard Shaw, seeking revenge for his brother Owen Shaw, was the one who attacked Han. As Deckard’s redemption arc gained attention, fans rallied for Han’s return to the series with the hashtag #JusticeForHan.{{Cite web |date=2023-05-29 |title=Fast X Star Sung Kang on What 'Justice for Han' Means Now |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/fast-x-star-sung-kang-on-what-justice-for-han-means-now?amp |access-date=2024-09-22 |website=SYFY Official Site |language=en}}

In F9, Han’s "death" was revealed to have been an illusion, staged to keep him under the radar for the events that would unfold in Fast X.

{{Reflist}}

{{Wikiquote}}

• [https://www.thefastandthefurious.com Official site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402172507/https://www.thefastandthefurious.com/ |date=April 2, 2019 }}
• {{IMDb title}}
• [https://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/features/behind-the-scenes-of-the-fast-and-the-furious-tokyo-drift.html Behind the Scenes of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift]

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