"Better Luck Tomorrow" director Justin Lin's "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" qualifies as a departure from the norm for a franchise. First, the action takes place in Asia instead of Los Angeles. Second, until the ending, we don't see anybody familiar. Although the hero is a misunderstood misfit, he isn't anything like the major characters in the previous films. Lucas Black plays a high school kid who is attracted to trouble, but he isn't a professional thief or a public servant. As Sean Boswell, he winds up in Tokyo and has to prove himself in an entirely different culture. Inevitably, our hero clashes with the nephew of a Yakuza boss played by the legendary martial arts superstar Sonny Chiba. Lin does a terrific job orchestrating some complicated action, especially the scenes where drivers drift. The drifting here, particularly during a town race, is breathtaking stuff. On the basis of its stunt driving, ""The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" ranks as a good movie. Of course, the Chris Morgan screenplay is shallow, but he fills the action with interesting characters. Lucas Black is terrific as the fish-out-of-water hero. Brian Tee makes a first-class villain as TK, while Sung Kang is appropriately laid-back and cool as a glacier. Superior stunts, adrenalin-laced races, and a sympathetic protagonist make this "Fast and Furious" installment a breath of fresh air.
