Tokyo Drift

2001's The Fast and the Furious was Hollywood's attempt to cash in on the popularity of tricked out cars and illegal street racing.
The film starred Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, and the toughest girl in Hollywood, Michelle Rodriguez. The film (which for the most part was Point Break with cars instead of surf boards) was a box office success; a sequel was inevitable.

2003's 2 Fast 2 Furious followed the exploits of Paul Walker's character. The setting was changed from California to Florida and the brand new cast included Tyrese, Eva Mendes, rapper Ludacris, and Cole Hauser. The "visually stunning" film played like a buddy movie as brainstormed by a bunch of frat guys on spring break. Surprisingly the result was a serviceable pop-corn flick that delivered "the goods".

With little talk of another sequel trailers for The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift hit screens in early 2006. This third entry in the franchise introduced an entirely new cast and yet another location change. Lucas Black took the lead and was rounded out by Bow Wow, Nathalie Kelley, Sung Kang, and the legendary JJ Sony Chiba. The movie was released in mid June (out now on DVD) and delivered more of the thrilling car races that fans had come to expect. Surprisingly the story was the most fully-realized of the series. Focusing on Lucas Black's troubled teen, the story is part fish out of water, part coming of age. And for the first time in the series the story seems to occur in a world that really exists. The action is plausible and the character's actions have consequences.

Tokyo Drift may be a slightly better than average pop-corn flick, but its message of personal responsibility is a welcome one.