The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
Encyclopedia
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift is a 2006 street racing
action film
directed by Justin Lin
. It is the third installment in the The Fast and the Furious film series
and currently the sixth in terms of series chronology
. The film, featuring an all-new cast, was shot in Tokyo, and parts of Los Angeles
, the latter often covered with props and lights to create the illusion of the Tokyo style. While Paul Walker
is not in the film, Vin Diesel
reprises his role as Dominic Toretto in a cameo appearance.
) is involved in a crash during a local street race. Because of his numerous brushes with the law in the past, his mother sends him to Tokyo
, Japan
, to live with his father, who is stationed as a U.S. Naval
officer. Upon arriving at his father's home in Tokyo, he is warned by his father not to stir up any trouble, or he will return to the U.S. to serve jail time.
Sean meets Twinkie (Bow Wow), a fellow American, who introduces him to the drift racing
scene. Sean has a verbal confrontation with Takashi (Brian Tee
) – also known as "Drift King" and nephew to a local yakuza boss – because he was talking to Takashi's girlfriend, Neela (Nathalie Kelley
). They race and Sean is defeated and destroys the car lent to him by Han Seoul-Oh (Sung Kang
), Takashi's business partner. The next day, Han meets Sean after school and tells Sean that he must work for him to repay the damage done to his car.
Han becomes Sean's friend and teaches him to drift. Han does this because Sean is the only one unafraid of Takashi (calling him his "kryptonite"). Neela and Sean go on a date which precipitates Takashi to beat him up. Angry after seeing Sean's bruises, Neela leaves Takashi to be with Sean.
Takashi's uncle Kamata (Sonny Chiba
), an Yakuza
head, admonishes his nephew for allowing Han to steal from him. Takashi confronts Han, Sean and Neela whereupon they flee. The resulting car chase results in the death of Han in a fatal collision. Takashi, Sean and his father become involved in an armed standoff which is resolved by Neela agreeing to leave with Takashi. With the help of Twinkie, Sean returns Kamata's stolen money, proposing a race against Takashi to determine who must leave Tokyo. Sean and Han's friends then build a car from various parts of Han's lent car. During the race, Takashi drives off the cliff and wrecks his car, resulting in Sean winning the race.
Later, Sean, now the DK, is challenged to a race in the parking lot by Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel
), a good friend of Han. Sean, already knowing Dominic's reputation, tells him "you know this ain't no ten second race." Dominic responds with a smile on his face, "I've got nothing but time."
and a score of 46 out of 100 on Metacritic
.
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."
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."
Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter
said that "it's not much of a movie, but a hell of a ride."
Michael Medved
gave Tokyo Drift one and a half stars out of four, saying: "There’s no discernible plot [...] or emotion or humor."
James Berardinelli
from Reel Views also gave it one and a half stars out of four, saying: "I expect a racing film to be derivative. That goes with the territory. No one is seeing a Fast and the Furious movie for the plot. When it comes to eye candy, the film is on solid ground—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?"
Richard Roeper
strongly criticized of 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."
Similarly, 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—it’s the only surprise you'll get from this heap."
Mick LaSalle
of the San Francisco Chronicle
said: "[The main character] has no plan and no direction, just a blind desire to smash up automobiles and steal a mobster's girlfriend. [...] 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? For that matter, who wants to watch guys race down a mountain, with lots of turns?"
reprises his role as Dominic Toretto, claiming to be a friend of Han. In the 2009 film Fast & Furious, the opening scene shows Toretto and Han working together to hijack fuel tankers in the Dominican Republic. Also, in the 2011 film "Fast Five" Han reappears as a member of their crew along with many other former cast members. "Tokyo Drift" is supposed to take place after the "Fast Five" movie and possible after future movies in the series as well.
Paul Walker was asked to star but he turned it down due to other projects and Universal decided to get a new cast and a new script.
Real-life "Drift King" and drift pioneer Keiichi Tsuchiya
also makes an appearance during the scenes where Lucas Black (Sean Boswell) is learning how to drift. He appears as an old fisherman who makes a side comment on Sean's lack of proper drift technique, which is obviously an inside joke. Drift driver Rhys Millen
can be seen talking to a Japanese couple during the transition from America to Japan.
Keiko Kitagawa
makes an appearance in the film as Earl's friend "Reiko". Kitagawa, known primarily for her role in Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
(a live action Sailor Moon
series from 2003-2004) where she played Rei Hino
a.k.a. Sailor Mars, makes her first appearance in an American action film.
This is the second movie in the franchise not to star Vin Diesel, and the only one not to star Paul Walker. Diesel's cameo appearance was uncredited.
motor found in the Nissan Skyline GTR, which powered the Mustang
and Nissan Silvia S15 in the film, has been subject to much criticism by automotive enthusiasts. The criticism grew when it was revealed that the car itself barely had any screen time, and regular stunt Mustangs used for the drifting scenes were powered by 351cid
Windsor
V8 engines. Hot Rod
magazine lamented the possibility that tuners might swap in Japanese motors into American cars. According to SCC
, one Mustang received the RB26 swap, while five other Mustangs were created for drifting purposes of which two were destroyed in the process. In addition, the RB26 Mustang was shown to be faster than its V8 powered kin, with times of 0-60 in 5.38 seconds, and the quarter mile in 13.36 seconds at 109.83 MPH.
The S15 Silvia
which Black's character trashes in his first race in Japan is depicted as having an RB26DETT
engine swap
which itself is donated to the Mustang. However, the car was actually powered by the S15's base SR20DET engine. The Veilside
Fortune body-kitted RX-7
driven by Sung Kang's character was originally built by Veilside for the 2005 Tokyo Auto Salon but was later bought by Universal and repainted (the original was dark red, not orange and black like in the film).
SCC 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
.
Notable drifting
personalities Keiichi Tsuchiya
, Rhys Millen
, and Samuel Hubinette
were consulted and employed by the movie to provide and execute the drifting and driving stunts in the film.
Tanner Foust
, Rich Rutherford, Calvin Wan, and Alex Pfeiffer were also brought in when it was revealed that none of Universal's own stunt drivers could drift. Some racing events were filmed within the Hawthorne Mall parking lot in Los Angeles.
Toshi Hayama was also brought in to keep elements of the film portrayed correctly after being contacted by Roger Fan
, an old high school friend that starred in Justin Lin's Better Luck Tomorrow
, the organizers of the Japanese series, and his former boss at A'PEXi. Among them are keeping certain references in check (the usage of nitrous
oxide in straights but not in turns, keeping the usage of references from sponsors to a minimum, etc.). Hayama also jokes that a prop car was "stolen" by some of the action stars who took the car for an impromptu "Drift Session" from which the car never returned.
Street racing
Street racing is a form of unsanctioned and illegal motor racing which takes place on public roads. Street racing can either be spontaneous or well-planned and coordinated. Well coordinated races are planned in advance and often have people communicating via 2-way radio/citizens' band radio and...
action film
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
directed by Justin Lin
Justin Lin
Justin Lin is a Taiwanese American film director, best known for his work on Better Luck Tomorrow, The Fast and the Furious franchise and the television show, Community.-Life and career:...
. It is the third installment in the The Fast and the Furious film series
The Fast and the Furious (film series)
The Fast and the Furious is a series of action films that focuses on street racing and heists. Produced by Universal Studios, the series was established in 2001 with the eponymous first installment, which has since been followed by four sequels, and two short films that tie into the series...
and currently the sixth in terms of series chronology
Chronology
Chronology is the science of arranging events in their order of occurrence in time, such as the use of a timeline or sequence of events. It is also "the determination of the actual temporal sequence of past events".Chronology is part of periodization...
. The film, featuring an all-new cast, was shot in Tokyo, and parts of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, the latter often covered with props and lights to create the illusion of the Tokyo style. While Paul Walker
Paul Walker
Paul William Walker IV is an American actor. He became well known in 1999 after his role in the hit film Varsity Blues. He is also known for starring in the surprise summer hit The Fast and the Furious. His other films include Joy Ride, Running Scared, Into the Blue and Eight Below...
is not in the film, Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel is an American actor, writer, director and producer. He became known in the early 2000s, appearing in several successful Hollywood films, including The Fast and the Furious and xXx...
reprises his role as Dominic Toretto in a cameo appearance.
Plot
Sean Boswell (Lucas BlackLucas Black
Lucas York Black is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles in the CBS television series American Gothic as well as roles in films such as Sling Blade, Jarhead, Friday Night Lights, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Legion, Get Low, and All the Pretty Horses.-Personal...
) is involved in a crash during a local street race. Because of his numerous brushes with the law in the past, his mother sends him to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, to live with his father, who is stationed as a U.S. Naval
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
officer. Upon arriving at his father's home in Tokyo, he is warned by his father not to stir up any trouble, or he will return to the U.S. to serve jail time.
Sean meets Twinkie (Bow Wow), a fellow American, who introduces him to the drift racing
Drifting (motorsport)
Drifting refers to a driving technique and to a motorsport where the driver intentionally over steers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels through turns, while maintaining vehicle control and a high exit speed...
scene. Sean has a verbal confrontation with Takashi (Brian Tee
Brian Tee
Brian Tee is an American actor.Tee was born in Okinawa, Japan, of Japanese and Korean descent. At the age of two, he moved to Hacienda Heights, California, and was raised there ever since. He attended Glen A. Wilson High School and was ASB president and a star captain of the football team. While...
) – also known as "Drift King" and nephew to a local yakuza boss – because he was talking to Takashi's girlfriend, Neela (Nathalie Kelley
Nathalie Kelley
Nathalie Kelley is a Peruvian-born Australian actress, most notable for playing Neela in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift in 2006, along with her appearance in the music video of Bruno Mars's 2010 single "Just the Way You Are"....
). They race and Sean is defeated and destroys the car lent to him by Han Seoul-Oh (Sung Kang
Sung Kang
Sung Kang is an American actor, known for his role as Han Seoul-Oh in the films Better Luck Tomorrow, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, and Fast Five....
), Takashi's business partner. The next day, Han meets Sean after school and tells Sean that he must work for him to repay the damage done to his car.
Han becomes Sean's friend and teaches him to drift. Han does this because Sean is the only one unafraid of Takashi (calling him his "kryptonite"). Neela and Sean go on a date which precipitates Takashi to beat him up. Angry after seeing Sean's bruises, Neela leaves Takashi to be with Sean.
Takashi's uncle Kamata (Sonny Chiba
Sonny Chiba
, also known as Sonny Chiba, is a Japanese actor, singer, film producer, film director and martial artist.Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience.- Early life :Born in Fukuoka, Fukuoka,...
), an Yakuza
Yakuza
, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
head, admonishes his nephew for allowing Han to steal from him. Takashi confronts Han, Sean and Neela whereupon they flee. The resulting car chase results in the death of Han in a fatal collision. Takashi, Sean and his father become involved in an armed standoff which is resolved by Neela agreeing to leave with Takashi. With the help of Twinkie, Sean returns Kamata's stolen money, proposing a race against Takashi to determine who must leave Tokyo. Sean and Han's friends then build a car from various parts of Han's lent car. During the race, Takashi drives off the cliff and wrecks his car, resulting in Sean winning the race.
Later, Sean, now the DK, is challenged to a race in the parking lot by Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel is an American actor, writer, director and producer. He became known in the early 2000s, appearing in several successful Hollywood films, including The Fast and the Furious and xXx...
), a good friend of Han. Sean, already knowing Dominic's reputation, tells him "you know this ain't no ten second race." Dominic responds with a smile on his face, "I've got nothing but time."
Cast
- Lucas BlackLucas BlackLucas York Black is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles in the CBS television series American Gothic as well as roles in films such as Sling Blade, Jarhead, Friday Night Lights, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Legion, Get Low, and All the Pretty Horses.-Personal...
as Sean Boswell, a young man interested in street racing. - Sung KangSung KangSung Kang is an American actor, known for his role as Han Seoul-Oh in the films Better Luck Tomorrow, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, and Fast Five....
as Han Seoul-Oh, Takashi's business partner (and old friend of Dominic Toretto) who befriends Sean and teaches him how to drift. - Bow Wow as Twinkie, Sean's first friend he meets in Tokyo and who sells hustled American goods to classmates and introduces Sean to drifting.
- Brian TeeBrian TeeBrian Tee is an American actor.Tee was born in Okinawa, Japan, of Japanese and Korean descent. At the age of two, he moved to Hacienda Heights, California, and was raised there ever since. He attended Glen A. Wilson High School and was ASB president and a star captain of the football team. While...
as Takashi, Sean's enemy. He is acknowledged as the best drift racer and given the title "DK" (Drift King). - Nathalie KelleyNathalie KelleyNathalie Kelley is a Peruvian-born Australian actress, most notable for playing Neela in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift in 2006, along with her appearance in the music video of Bruno Mars's 2010 single "Just the Way You Are"....
as Neela, an Australian who is Takashi's girlfriend, but later on falls for Sean. - Jason TobinJason TobinJason Tobin, credited in Chinese as To Jun Wai , is a British-Chinese film and television actor.-Early life:He was born in Hong Kong where he attended the King George V School in Kowloon, Hong Kong; he is of mixed ancestry, being half English and half Chinese.-Partial filmography:His film...
as Earl, one of Han's friends. - Keiko KitagawaKeiko Kitagawais a Japanese actress and former model. She was an exclusive model for the Japanese Seventeen magazine from late 2003 to mid 2006, and left modeling when she left the magazine. Her first acting role was Sailor Mars in the Sailor Moon live action show Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon , and after her role...
as Reiko, Earl's friend. - Sonny ChibaSonny Chiba, also known as Sonny Chiba, is a Japanese actor, singer, film producer, film director and martial artist.Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience.- Early life :Born in Fukuoka, Fukuoka,...
as Kamata, Takashi's uncle who is a Yakuza head. - Leonardo NamLeonardo NamLeonardo Nam is an Argentine-born Australian actor of Korean descent.-Early life:Nam was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At the age of 6, he moved to Sydney, Australia. Nam attended Sydney Technical High School and studied architecture at the University of New South Wales. Nam left Sydney to...
as Morimoto, Takashi's closest friend and right hand man. - Brian GoodmanBrian GoodmanBrian Goodman is an American film and television director, writer, and actor.-Brief background:At 12, Goodman quit school and started living on the streets. He sold drugs, married young, and served time in prison for his criminal activity. It was not until he saw Brian's Song that Goodman made a...
as Lieutenant Boswell, Sean's father. - Lynda BoydLynda BoydLynda Boyd is a Canadian actress, singer, dancer, musician, and writer. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the Hollywood films Final Destination 2 , An Unfinished Life , She's the Man , and On Thin Ice, with Diane Keaton...
as Ms. Boswell, Sean's mother, who, fed up with moving Sean around, sends him to TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, to live with his father. - Zachery Ty BryanZachery Ty BryanZachery Ty Bryan is an American actor and producer best known for his role as Brad Taylor on the American sitcom Home Improvement.-Personal life:...
as Clay, the quarterback of Sean's school whom Sean races at the beginning of the film. - Nikki GriffinNikki GriffinJeanne Nicole "Nikki" Griffin is an American actress.-Life and career:Though Jeanne Nicole Griffin was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, formative years of her childhood were spent living in Germany...
as Cindy, Clay's girlfriend, who suggests that Clay and Sean race to win her. - Vin DieselVin DieselVin Diesel is an American actor, writer, director and producer. He became known in the early 2000s, appearing in several successful Hollywood films, including The Fast and the Furious and xXx...
as Dominic TorettoDominic TorettoDominic Toretto is a fictional character portrayed by Vin Diesel in The Fast and the Furious film series created by screenwriter Gary Scott Thompson. Dom is first introduced in the film The Fast and the Furious...
, who makes an uncredited cameo appearance at the end of the film. - Lee Black as the young sheriff's deputy.
Box office
Despite mixed reviews, Tokyo Drift brought in over $24 million on its opening weekend. The movie itself was in limited release in Japan (released under the name Wild Speed 3). As of January 28, 2007, the domestic box office take has totalled $62,514,415 with another $95,953,877 from the foreign box office, resulting in total receipts of $158,468,292. Tokyo Drift grossed lower than its predecessor films.Critical reaction
The film received largely mixed reviews from the critics. The film holds a rating of 34% on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
and a score of 46 out of 100 on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
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."
Michael Sragow
Michael Sragow
Michael Sragow is a film critic and columnist who has written for The Baltimore Sun, The New Times, The New Yorker , The Atlantic and salon.com...
of the Baltimore Sun felt that "the opening half-hour may prove to be a disreputable classic of pedal-to-the-metal filmmaking."
Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
said that "it's not much of a movie, but a hell of a ride."
Michael Medved
Michael Medved
Michael Medved is an American radio host, author, political commentator and film critic. His Seattle, Washington-based nationally syndicated talk show, The Michael Medved Show, airs throughout the U.S...
gave Tokyo Drift one and a half stars out of four, saying: "There’s no discernible plot [...] or emotion or humor."
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli is an American online film critic.-Personal life:Berardinelli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and spent his early childhood in Morristown, New Jersey. At the age of nine years, he relocated to the township of Cherry Hill, New Jersey...
from Reel Views also gave it one and a half stars out of four, saying: "I expect a racing film to be derivative. That goes with the territory. No one is seeing a Fast and the Furious movie for the plot. When it comes to eye candy, the film is on solid ground—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?"
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Richard E. Roeper is an American columnist and film critic for The Chicago Sun-Times and now a co-host on The Roe Conn Show on WLS-AM...
strongly criticized of 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."
Similarly, Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Peter Travers is an American film critic, who has written for, in turn, People and Rolling Stone. Travers also hosts a celebrity interview show called Popcorn on ABC News Now and ABCNews.com.-Career:...
of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
said that Tokyo Drift "suffers from blurred vision, motor drag and a plot that's running on fumes. Look out for a star cameo—it’s the only surprise you'll get from this heap."
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle is an American Mick LaSalle is an [[United States|American]] Mick LaSalle is an [[United States|American]] [[film reviewer] and the author of two books on pre-[[Motion Picture Production Code|Hays Code]] Hollywood...
of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
said: "[The main character] has no plan and no direction, just a blind desire to smash up automobiles and steal a mobster's girlfriend. [...] 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? For that matter, who wants to watch guys race down a mountain, with lots of turns?"
Cameos
Vin DieselVin Diesel
Vin Diesel is an American actor, writer, director and producer. He became known in the early 2000s, appearing in several successful Hollywood films, including The Fast and the Furious and xXx...
reprises his role as Dominic Toretto, claiming to be a friend of Han. In the 2009 film Fast & Furious, the opening scene shows Toretto and Han working together to hijack fuel tankers in the Dominican Republic. Also, in the 2011 film "Fast Five" Han reappears as a member of their crew along with many other former cast members. "Tokyo Drift" is supposed to take place after the "Fast Five" movie and possible after future movies in the series as well.
Paul Walker was asked to star but he turned it down due to other projects and Universal decided to get a new cast and a new script.
Real-life "Drift King" and drift pioneer Keiichi Tsuchiya
Keiichi Tsuchiya
is a professional race car driver. He is also known as the "Drift King" for his nontraditional use of drifting in non-drifting racing events and his role in popularizing drifting as a motorsport...
also makes an appearance during the scenes where Lucas Black (Sean Boswell) is learning how to drift. He appears as an old fisherman who makes a side comment on Sean's lack of proper drift technique, which is obviously an inside joke. Drift driver Rhys Millen
Rhys Millen
Rhys Millen , nephew of IMSA GTS driver Steve Millen, son of Rod and elder brother of Ryan, is one of the world's top competitors in drifting. Prior to that he was a top rally driver in the US, and became the first works backed driver from a car manufacturer with GM in 2004 after narrowly losing to...
can be seen talking to a Japanese couple during the transition from America to Japan.
Keiko Kitagawa
Keiko Kitagawa
is a Japanese actress and former model. She was an exclusive model for the Japanese Seventeen magazine from late 2003 to mid 2006, and left modeling when she left the magazine. Her first acting role was Sailor Mars in the Sailor Moon live action show Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon , and after her role...
makes an appearance in the film as Earl's friend "Reiko". Kitagawa, known primarily for her role in Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
is a Japanese tokusatsu television series in the Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon metaseries originally created by Naoko Takeuchi. It is produced by Toei, the same company that produces the Super Sentai Series and the Kamen Rider Series and of which their animation firm Toei Animation, produced the...
(a live action Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon, known as , is a media franchise created by manga artist Naoko Takeuchi. Fred Patten credits Takeuchi with popularizing the concept of a team of magical girls, and Paul Gravett credits the series with "revitalizing" the magical-girl genre itself...
series from 2003-2004) where she played Rei Hino
Rei Hino
is one of the central characters in the Sailor Moon metaseries. Her real name is , a Shinto priestess and schoolgirl who can transform into one of the series' specialized heroines, the Sailor Senshi....
a.k.a. Sailor Mars, makes her first appearance in an American action film.
This is the second movie in the franchise not to star Vin Diesel, and the only one not to star Paul Walker. Diesel's cameo appearance was uncredited.
Technical
The RB26DETTNissan RB engine
The RB engine is a 2.0–3.0 L straight-6 four-stroke petrol/gasoline engine from Nissan produced from 1980-2004. A special limited edition the LMRB26 was also built during this time by General Motors in Australia....
motor found in the Nissan Skyline GTR, which powered the Mustang
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, as a "1964½" model, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A...
and Nissan Silvia S15 in the film, has been subject to much criticism by automotive enthusiasts. The criticism grew when it was revealed that the car itself barely had any screen time, and regular stunt Mustangs used for the drifting scenes were powered by 351cid
Cubic inch
The cubic inch is a unit of measurement for volume in the Imperial units and United States customary units systems. It is the volume of a cube with each of its 3 sides being one inch long....
Windsor
Ford Windsor engine
The Windsor is a 90-degree small-block V8 engine from Ford Motor Company. It was introduced in 1962, replacing the previous Ford Y-block engine. Though not all of the engines in this family were produced at the Windsor, Ontario engine plant , the name stuck...
V8 engines. Hot Rod
Hot Rod Magazine
Hot Rod is an American monthly magazine devoted to hot rodding, —modifying automobiles for performance and appearance.-History:Hot Rod is the oldest magazine devoted to hot rodding having been published since 1948. Robert E. Petersen founded the magazine and his Petersen Publishing Company...
magazine lamented the possibility that tuners might swap in Japanese motors into American cars. According to SCC
Sport Compact Car
Sport Compact Car was an American car magazine that lasted from 1988 to 2009. Sport Compact Car focused on modifying and racing sport compacts, usually import model cars. This publication was known for having a more technical approach than most other typical import car magazines and for the...
, one Mustang received the RB26 swap, while five other Mustangs were created for drifting purposes of which two were destroyed in the process. In addition, the RB26 Mustang was shown to be faster than its V8 powered kin, with times of 0-60 in 5.38 seconds, and the quarter mile in 13.36 seconds at 109.83 MPH.
The S15 Silvia
Nissan Silvia
The S12 was produced from 1984 to 1988, with revisions to the exterior trim in 1987 . It was sold in three configurations—a coupe , a hatchback, and a widebody chassis called grandprix .A number of different engines were equipped in the S12 chassis, depending on production year and more...
which Black's character trashes in his first race in Japan is depicted as having an RB26DETT
Nissan RB engine
The RB engine is a 2.0–3.0 L straight-6 four-stroke petrol/gasoline engine from Nissan produced from 1980-2004. A special limited edition the LMRB26 was also built during this time by General Motors in Australia....
engine swap
Engine swap
An engine swap is the process of removing a car's engine and replacing it with another. This is done either because of failure, or to install a different engine, usually one that is more powerful or more modern and maintainable....
which itself is donated to the Mustang. However, the car was actually powered by the S15's base SR20DET engine. The Veilside
Veilside
Veilside Company Limited is an aftermarket automotive company which initially sold suspension and engine tuning parts, and now sells interior as well as body parts for aerodynamic and aesthetic enhancement of the vehicle.The name is derived from the owner's name, Yokomaku Hiranao...
Fortune body-kitted RX-7
Mazda RX-7
Series 1 is commonly referred to as the "SA22C" from the first alphanumerics of the vehicle identification number. This series of RX-7 had exposed steel bumpers and a high-mounted indentation-located license plate, called by Werner Buhrer of Road & Track magazine a "Baroque depression."In 1980...
driven by Sung Kang's character was originally built by Veilside for the 2005 Tokyo Auto Salon but was later bought by Universal and repainted (the original was dark red, not orange and black like in the film).
SCC 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
2 Fast 2 Furious
2 Fast 2 Furious is a 2003 street racing action film directed by John Singleton. It is the second film in The Fast and the Furious film series following The Fast and the Furious . It stars Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Eva Mendes, Devon Aoki, and Chris Bridges; and was directed by John Singleton. The...
.
Notable drifting
Drifting (motorsport)
Drifting refers to a driving technique and to a motorsport where the driver intentionally over steers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels through turns, while maintaining vehicle control and a high exit speed...
personalities Keiichi Tsuchiya
Keiichi Tsuchiya
is a professional race car driver. He is also known as the "Drift King" for his nontraditional use of drifting in non-drifting racing events and his role in popularizing drifting as a motorsport...
, Rhys Millen
Rhys Millen
Rhys Millen , nephew of IMSA GTS driver Steve Millen, son of Rod and elder brother of Ryan, is one of the world's top competitors in drifting. Prior to that he was a top rally driver in the US, and became the first works backed driver from a car manufacturer with GM in 2004 after narrowly losing to...
, and Samuel Hubinette
Samuel Hubinette
Samuel Hübinette, aka The Crazy Swede , is a Swedish professional race car driver and Hollywood stunt driver. He started working as a test driver for Volvo Cars...
were consulted and employed by the movie to provide and execute the drifting and driving stunts in the film.
Tanner Foust
Tanner Foust
Tanner Foust is a professional racing driver, stunt driver, and television host. He competes in rally, drift, ice racing, time attack and rallycross with multiple podium placements and national championships. He is a co-host on the American version of the motoring television series, Top...
, Rich Rutherford, Calvin Wan, and Alex Pfeiffer were also brought in when it was revealed that none of Universal's own stunt drivers could drift. Some racing events were filmed within the Hawthorne Mall parking lot in Los Angeles.
Toshi Hayama was also brought in to keep elements of the film portrayed correctly after being contacted by Roger Fan
Roger Fan
Roger Fan is an American actor of film, theatre and episodic television best known for his collaborations with Justin Lin and his appearances in the films Annapolis and Better Luck Tomorrow....
, an old high school friend that starred in Justin Lin's Better Luck Tomorrow
Better Luck Tomorrow
Better Luck Tomorrow is a 2002 crime-drama film directed by Justin Lin. The movie is about Asian American overachievers who become bored with their lives and enter a world of petty crime and material excess...
, the organizers of the Japanese series, and his former boss at A'PEXi. Among them are keeping certain references in check (the usage of nitrous
Nitrous
Nitrous oxide is a chemical compound used as an oxidizing agent to increase an internal combustion engine's power output by allowing more fuel to be burned than would normally be the case.-Nitrous and NOS:...
oxide in straights but not in turns, keeping the usage of references from sponsors to a minimum, etc.). Hayama also jokes that a prop car was "stolen" by some of the action stars who took the car for an impromptu "Drift Session" from which the car never returned.