TheFast & Furiousfranchise is one of the longest-running action series in recent memory, but many of the sequels have completely different styles from the rest. Whether it’s the buddy comedy of2 Fast 2 Furious,the gritty crime drama ofFast & Furious, or the action spectacle ofFurious 7, the saga has branched out in several directions since the first film’s release.EveryFast & Furiousmovieis slightly different, and that’s both the franchise’s biggest strength and its central weakness.
The question ofwhichFast & Furiousmovie is the bestultimately comes down to personal preference asthey’re all so tonally distinct- but there’s one film that stands out among the crowd. While many of the sequels blend into one another with their sweeping narratives of international conflict and global espionage, one of the series’ earliest entries remains separate from the others as it is the onlyFast & Furioussequel that’s truly about cars. Unfortunately, it is also the franchise’s lowest-grossing movie.
Tokyo Drift Is The Best Fast & Furious Movie (Because It’s Actually About Cars)
The Film Has A Clear Focus And It Works Well
Fast & Furious: Tokyo Driftwas far from a hit when it came out, but there’s no denying that it’s the most unique entry in the saga. While the first two movies were essentially crime dramas about friendship, merely using cars as a backdrop to explore this dynamic,Tokyo Driftembraced the street racing element of the franchise.With new characters and a fresh location, theFast & Furiousmovies lived up to their name for the first time, even thoughTokyo Driftwas also an action movie with a crime storyline.
Fast And Furious: Every Major Character Death (& Which Movie They Died In)
As Dom and his crew will tell you, a Fast and Furious life is dangerous. Good and bad guys alike have met their end in the car-racing franchise.
While the dynamic between Dom and Brian is undeniably compelling (and the reasonFast & Furiousbecame such a long-running franchise after all), there’s something aboutTokyo Driftthat feels proud and unapologetic in ways the other sequels don’t, not evenFast Five. WherelaterFast & Furiousmovies stopped being about cars, focusing on bigger stunts and more sweeping narratives instead,Tokyo Driftfeels unafraid to fully immerse itself in the racing world and bring the audience along for the ride.
Tokyo Drift Has Aged Much Better Than Its Box Office & RT Score Would Suggest
The Film Profits From The Benefit Of Hindsight
Tokyo Driftis one of the worst-performingFast & Furiousmovies both critically and commercially. The film currently holds a 38% score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is underwhelming in comparison to films likeFurious 7at 82%. Naturally,Tokyo Driftisn’t the critics’ favorite, but these scores have to be considered in context. The third film had nothing to do with the previous two and was, essentially, a standalone action film about cars, which many saw as a poor decision that would kill the franchise for good.
$207,517,509
$236,350,661
$158,964,610
$360,366,870
$626,137,675
$788,680,968
$1,515,341,399
$1,236,005,118
$760,732,926
$726,229,501
Fast X
$714,375,549
But with the benefit of hindsight, knowing how much the later sequels would focus on Dom and Brian again, it’s actually refreshing to get aFast & Furiousmovie that is not about them or the “family.” It may have been detrimental to the film’s box office performance, butit’s a much-needed changethat prevented the series from becoming stale.Tokyo Driftonly pulled in $158.9 worldwide, which was the lowest of the franchise at that point and doesn’t even compare toFurious 7’s record-breaking $1.5 billion.
Tokyo Drift Feels Part Of A Different Franchise After How Much Fast & Furious Changed
The Franchise Would Never Make Tokyo Drift Today
AlthoughTokyo Driftwas poorly received at the time because of how unfamiliar it seemed, this is now what makes it so interesting. There are several moments in the franchise thatchangedFast & Furiousforever, and the series is now unrecognizable from the place where it began. With the benefit of hindsight,Tokyo Driftfeels like a glimpse into a parallel universe wherethe franchise stayed focused on carsand racing instead of shifting its interests to a safer, more commercially friendly approach.
Tokyo Driftwill likely continue to be appreciated despite how much the saga has changed.
One of the biggest problems withFast & Furiousin its current form is the characters, who often feel misused and underdeveloped.Tokyo Driftdoesn’t have this problem, as it leaves the old characters in the past and dedicates time to introducing new figures and making us care about them. This makes the story much more compelling than some recent sequels, which give too much attention to the action stunts and the special effects. A simpler, more straightforward movie,Tokyo Driftwill likely continue to be appreciated despite how much the saga has changed.
