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"THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT" (2006) (Lucas Black, Nathalie Kelley) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Moderate Extreme Moderate Moderate Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Heavy None Heavy *Mild Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Mild Moderate Heavy Heavy QUICK TAKE: Action/Drama: A teenage American outsider is sent to live with his dad in Tokyo, but quickly finds himself traveling in the fast lane when he gets involved with some young gangsters who are into street racing just like him. PLOT: Sean Boswell (LUCAS BLACK) is a 17-year-old troublemaker and outsider who has no problem mixing it up with the jocks, especially when it comes to illegal street racing. When he's busted yet again, this time for resultant property destruction, his mom (LYNDA BOYD) has no alternative but to send her son to Tokyo to live with his estranged military father, Major Boswell (BRIAN GOODMAN), who demands that he give up his racing ways. Feeling even more like an outsider -- known as a gaijin here -- he isn't happy, although he's pleased to see the pretty Neela (NATHALIE KELLEY) in one of his classes. Twinkie (BOW WOW) - his new American friend and fellow classmate -- warns Sean to stay away from her as she belongs to D.K. (BRIAN TEE), a young but volatile gangster who works for his Uncle Kamata (SONNY CHIBA), a real-life mafioso. But it's in Sean's nature to be confrontational, so having been given a car by D.K.'s more laidback associate Han (SUNG KANG), the American ends up competing against the lead gangster in a parking garage race where the drivers must drift (slide) through the turns. Sean loses, but he gains Han's respect, and the gangster soon has him running errands and such to pay for the damages Sean caused to his car during the race. But he also teaches Sean the valuable drifting technique and the outsider finally starts to feel like he's fitting in, although he refuses to stop being friendly with Neela. All of which only infuriates D.K. even more, eventually leading to heated conflict both in and out of their race cars. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they liked the first two films, anyone in the cast or are interested in fast cars and pretty women, they just might. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For reckless and illegal behavior involving teens, violence, language and sexual content. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: LUCAS BLACK plays an intense and stubborn American teen who's always getting into trouble, especially when driving fast and racing are involved. He ends up being shipped off to live with his father in Tokyo where he quickly takes up with Twinkie and Han, all while clashing with D.K. and being attracted to Neela. He uses some profanity. NATHALIE KELLEY plays an outsider who takes a liking to Sean, but must contend with her boyfriend D.K. and his volatile behavior. BOW WOW plays another American student living in Tokyo who's a hustler selling all sorts of goods to anyone who will buy them. He befriends Sean, hangs out with Han and uses some profanity. BRIAN TEE plays a volatile gangster who works for his uncle and doesn't like Sean, especially when he gets friendly with Neela. He briefly uses strong profanity and is violent with others. SUNG KANG plays D.K.'s rich and more laidback associate who takes Sean under his wings and teaches him the drifting racing technique while also using him in his criminal behavior. He drinks. SONNY CHIBA plays D.K.'s uncle, a real-life mafioso who cracks down on his nephew's operations. He smokes cigars and allows Sean to compete against D.K. in a race. BRIAN GOODMAN plays Sean's long estranged father who lets the teen stay with him in hopes that he'll settle down and stop acting up. He drinks a lot in one scene and briefly threatens D.K. with a gun when the thug has done the same to Sean. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a quick look at the content found in this action flick that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 1 "f" word, while other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. Sexually related dialogue is also present, while the camera objectifies many young women by focusing on their shapely bodies while they're dressed in skimpy attire. Some sexualized material also occurs (dancing and implied off-screen activity of one sort or another, including a brief view of two women making out). Potentially imitative behavior includes all sorts of stunt-filled racing and other such driving, much of which could be dangerous if performed by non-professional drivers. Various amounts of property damage occur, as do some fistfights, and threatening and shooting at others with a gun, while a person is killed in a car crash. Some of that has bloody results and some of that footage might be unsettling or suspenseful to some viewers. Various characters drink or smoke, while varying amounts of bad attitudes are present as is some tense family material involving a troubled teen being sent to live with his estranged father (with the two then clashing). If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there are varying amounts of camera movement through the film, as well as several spin around camera shots that might cause that reaction. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Some passengers may have alcoholic drinks on a plane. Sean's father holds a beer and we see many empties around him. Han drinks. Various people drink in a club. Han and others drink in a club. Sean and Neela may be drinking beer with some food (we couldn't identify the cans). Han has a beer. D.K. has what looks like a drink in front of him. People drink in a club. BLOOD/GORE Sean, a jock and his girlfriend have some bloody facial wounds after all crashed during a car race (with Sean's teeth also being bloody - but all of this is played lightly as Sean smiles at that girl with those teeth). D.K. repeatedly punches Sean hard in the face, bloodying him (Sean spits out some blood). A man's face is bloody after a car wreck. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE At various points in the film, the camera objectifies young, shapely women in tight and/or skimpy attire. Some high school students grab another and using a shop spray paint gun to spray his belly with paint. A high school jock is mad at Sean for the latter talking to his girlfriend. He refers to him as "trailer trash" and throws a baseball through his back car window. A bunch of high school students break into a locked subdivision that's under construction to stage a race between Sean and a jock. The two then blast through the place, causing some damage, including Sean blasting through the wooden framework of one such under-construction house. At the end of the race, the jock (not caring about his girlfriend in the passenger seat asking for him to stop) repeatedly bashes his car into Sean's (at high speed). We hear that Sean has prior driving-related offenses on his record. Twinkie sells goods (we don't know if they're hot or not) to students and others throughout the film. D.K. acts condescendingly toward Sean and is mad that he's talking to Neela. He and his goons also have bad attitudes for their criminal ways that include mafia related business for D.K.'s uncle. Sean disobeys his father's demands that he shape up his act. D.K. tells Neela he heard her mom was the best "trick" (hooker) around and that if they hadn't taken Neela in, she probably would have been doing the same. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" (the fighting and car races, etc.) might also be unsettling or suspenseful to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. D.K. punches Han in the face and then grabs him by the shirt (for thinking Han is stealing from him). D.K. then pulls a handgun that he aims at Han's face. Twinkie then causes a distraction, Han punches D.K. and Sean punches one of D.K.'s goons. They then race away in their cars. D.K. and his goons chase Sean and others at high speed through regular traffic (thus all swerve through and around the slower vehicles). During this, one goon repeatedly bashes into Sean's car, but ends up crashing headfirst into another car and is then hit by even more. D.K. bangs his car into Sean's, and they all swerve through a massive crowd on the road, just managing to avoid hitting any of them. During a chase, D.K. shoots his handgun at Han. A car t-bones another car at a high speed, causing a lot of damage to it and injuring the driver of the struck car. Sean rushes up to help, but leaking fuel and a small fire result in a large explosion that presumably kills the driver. Sean repeatedly punches D.K. who manages to push him away and then hold a gun to his face. Sean's father then holds his gun on D.K. and the gangster eventually leaves without further violence. Various goons belonging to Kamata act menacingly toward Sean as he goes to meet the gangster. Sean and D.K. race down a curvy mountain road (with no guardrails) at night. At times, they come close to the edge of the road/cliff, especially when D.K. repeatedly bumps Sean's car. At one point, Sean seems to drive off a cliff (seen as his POV), but that turns out to be just an imagined event. During this, D.K. ends up crashing off a cliff and then nearly lands on Sean as the latter races by below him. GUNS/WEAPONS Handgun: Used by D.K. to threaten and/or shoot at others. See "Violence" for details. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "We're both products of f*ck-ups, aren't we?" "Oh sh*t," "(Broken ass) piece of sh*t," "Chickensh*t," "What the hell's that?" "Trailer trash," "What the hell /were you thinking/is wrong with you?" "Shut up," "Hell no," "You're like the Justin Timberlake of Japan," "Badass," "Pissed off," "Drift nuts," "You're D.K.'s kryptonite" and "Are you crazy?" All of the racing and driving stunts, as well as fighting and other action may be enticing for some kids to imitate. Some high school students grab another and using a shop spray paint gun to spray his belly with paint. A jock spits into his hand to try to prove he's tough. A high school girl removes her bra from under her shirt to use as a "flag" to start a race (nothing explicit is seen). A young woman has a tattoo on the small of her back. A man has various large tattoos on his body. We see miscellaneous graffiti. A thug spits as a gesture of intimidation. Han, with Sean as his passenger, repeatedly circles a stopped car containing two young women (to impress them and get what's presumably their numbers). JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A heavy amount of action-oriented, heavily dramatic and some suspenseful music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) Various songs have lyrics that we couldn't hear and/or understand, thus offering the possibility of them containing potentially objectionable material. A song has a lyric about "forties" (meaning big bottles of malt liquor). A song repeats the lyric, "You sexy." PROFANITY At least 1 "f" word, 8 "s" words, 5 damns, 5 hells, 2 asses and 1 use of "God." SEX/NUDITY At various points in the film, the camera objectifies young, shapely women in tight and/or skimpy attire (including very short skirts, various shots of cleavage, bare midriffs and even a brief panty shot). When Sean challenges a jock to a car race, the jock's girlfriend says that the winner gets her. A high school girl removes her bra from under her shirt to use as a "flag" to start a race (nothing explicit is seen). When Sean shows up at his father's place, the man tells Sean to wait for a moment and then escorts a woman (possibly a prostitute) from his place before letting Sean in. About some girls at a car party, Twinkie hands Sean a box of tissues and says that it's for "when you blow your wad." A guy playfully slaps a young woman on her butt (covered in a short skirt) and the two then passionately kiss (while standing, but leaning back over a car). We see miscellaneous women showing cleavage. We see many men in a Japanese public bathhouse where they bathe (sponge bath style) with towels around their lower bodies. Sean is also seen that same way as he tries to find someone who owes money to Han. Han informs Sean that the latter is in the pick up and delivery business and that whatever Sean is doing at the time (being sick or "in bed with Beyonce") he must immediately answer Han's call and request. We briefly see two women kissing in a club. We see some sexy/sexualized dancing in a club where couples enter small cubicles (presumably for fooling around, but we don't see anything else related to that). Miscellaneous women show cleavage. A song repeats the lyric, "You sexy." About his selling abilities, Twinkie says he's so good he could sell rubbers to a monk. D.K. tells Neela he heard her mom was the best "trick" (hooker) around and that if they hadn't taken Neela in, she probably would have been doing the same. At the end of the film, the camera again focuses on various female bodies in short and tight attire (that show cleavage and other skin). SMOKING Kamata smokes cigars at least twice, while many minor/miscellaneous characters smoke in various scenes. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Sean's mom makes him move to Tokyo to stay with his estranged father (after the teen gets in trouble again and faces that move or time in jail). When Sean's father tells his son that he can't keep moving away from trouble, Sean sarcastically says it worked for him (the dad). Sean's father isn't happy with his son, his attitude and his behavior and Sean feels constrained by his rules. Uncle Kamata tells D.K. that he misses the young man's father (Kamata's brother) when he sees a photo of him. Neela says her mom died when the girl was ten, while Sean says his parents split when he was three. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT At various points in the film, the camera objectifies young, shapely women in tight and/or skimpy attire. Racing and trick driving/stunts that some kids may try to imitate. We hear that Sean and his mom repeatedly move when he gets into trouble in their latest location (this being their third town in two years). We hear that Sean has prior driving-related offenses on his record. Han says the police won't chase them since their cars aren't as fast as the gangsters. The saying that the nail that sticks out gets hammered. Han's comment that the masses follow the rules, but he then asks for what. The comment of making choices and not looking back. D.K. telling Neela, "We're both products of f*ck-ups." VIOLENCE A high school jock is mad at Sean for the latter talking to his girlfriend. He refers to him as "trailer trash" and throws a baseball through his back car window. A bunch of high school students break into a locked subdivision that's under construction to stage a race between Sean and a jock. The two then blast through the place, causing some damage, including Sean blasting through the wooden framework of one such under-construction house. At the end of the race, the jock (not caring about his girlfriend in the passenger seat asking for him to stop) repeatedly bashes his car into Sean's (at high speed). The jock's sports car ends up crashing into a large concrete tube, while Sean flips his car many times, resulting in all at the hospital with bloody wounds (the latter played for laughs on the part of the film). Sean and D.K. partake in a race through a parking lot where they must drift (slide) through the sharp turns. During this, Sean ends up damaging Han's car by running into pillars, smacking into wall and crashing into cars. We see Sean being thrown out of a bathhouse (by a large man who owes Han money). Sean rushes back in, but is thrown out again (slightly played for comedy). Sean accidentally does some damage to a car while testing his drifting techniques. One of D.K.'s goons is beating up Twinkie (reportedly for selling him some bad electronic gear). We see the thug punching Twinkie in the face and gut repeatedly until Sean intervenes. That thug then pushes Sean backwards, but the latter resolves the situation without further violence. D.K. repeatedly punches Sean hard in the face, bloodying him (Sean spits out some blood). Neela slaps D.K. and he then acts somewhat menacingly toward her (causing her to cry). D.K. punches Han in the face and then grabs him by the shirt (for thinking Han is stealing from him). D.K. then pulls a handgun that he aims at Han's face. Twinkie then causes a distraction, Han punches D.K. and Sean punches one of D.K.'s goons. They then race away in their cars (with the top of Sean's scraping a low overpass on the way out). D.K.'s goon then stands in front of Sean who proceeds to run him over (the goon flips over the top of his car). D.K. and his goons chase Sean and others at high speed through regular traffic (thus all swerve through and around the slower vehicles). During this, one goon repeatedly bashes into Sean's car, but ends up crashing headfirst into another car and is then hit by even more. D.K. bangs his car into Sean's, and they all swerve through a massive crowd on the road, just managing to avoid hitting any of them. During a chase, D.K. shoots his handgun at Han. Sean's car crashes during a chase, but he and Neela are okay. A car t-bones another car at a high speed, causing a lot of damage to it and injuring the driver of the struck car. Sean rushes up to help, but leaking fuel and a small fire result in a large explosion that presumably kills the driver. Sean repeatedly punches D.K. who manages to push him away and then hold a gun to his face. Sean's father then holds his gun on D.K. and the gangster eventually leaves without further violence. Sean and D.K. race down a curvy mountain road (with no guardrails) at night. At times, they come close to the edge of the road/cliff, especially when D.K. repeatedly bumps Sean's car. At one point, Sean seems to drive off a cliff (seen as his POV), but that turns out to be just an imagined event. During this, D.K. ends up crashing off a cliff and then nearly lands on Sean as the latter races by below him. Reviewed June 13, 2006 / Posted June 16, 2006

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