The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift - 3/5

This movie received very low expectations after the previous installment, but it handily surpasses them by flipping the tropes on their heads. The cocky protagonist could have been obnoxious, except that the main narrative is about him growing out of his character deficiencies. The races could have been simple retreads of old ground, but instead they use the titular drifting to make some of the most interesting courses in the entire franchise. It’s still got the contrived interactions and setpiece moments and schoolboy drama at its core, but run-of-the-mill sequel this is not.

Closest comparison: It’s like The Fast and the Furious by way of Black Rain.

Setting: Yakuza Crime
Plot: Coming of Age
Tone: Cool Action

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) - 3/5

This second installment in the “Fast and the Furious” series is more colorful than the first one, and trades its down-to-earth friend-circle-based drama for buddy-cop shenanigans. It’s a bit more lighthearted fun than the first and correspondingly over-the-top, introducing boats to the mix. On the whole, it’s basically more of the same, but that’s not entirely a bad thing.

Closest comparison: It’s like Lethal Weapon, but with cars.

Setting: Underground Crime
Plot: Buddy Cop
Tone: Action

The Fast and The Furious (2001) - 3/5

This is one of those movies that is made for its cool factor, prioritizing fun over narrative and all those petty concerns about the morality of grand theft. A lot of this movie revolves around buying into the central relationships, but the movie does a good job of making everything seem cool and larger than life so that the audience is just along for the ride. The surrogate family drama is couched in all of the gratuitous shots of cars and girls you would expect, landing on a time-tested foundation of style over substance.

Closest comparison: It’s like Point Break (1991), but with cars.

Setting: Underground Crime
Plot: Crime Drama
Tone: Action